Two students from the Department of Nursing at the Durban University of Technology Andiswa Nzama and Phakamile Zuma recently left for Finland to be part of an exciting student exchange programme at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, for the next three months.
Twenty-four year old Nzama from Port Shepstone and 30-year-old Zuma from Inanda were ecstatic after they were given an opportunity to travel to Finland to represent DUT and work towards enhancing their studies. Zuma, who is completing her last year, said her love for nursing dates back to when she was a little girl and used to enjoy helping her family members whenever they were not feeling well. The nursing student said she was grateful for the love and support she received from her family and friends after sharing these exciting news with them. “This opportunity will help me to grow as a person and academically. It will equip me with new knowledge and skills that can be shared with junior nursing students at DUT and at a facility where I will be working as a professional nurse,” said Zuma.
Zuma, who also travelled for the first time on an airplane, said she had to calm her family down after they expressed their fears about her travelling abroad. “I convinced them of how important this is for me and that they don’t have to worry since it is safe and that I will be provided with accommodation, food allowance, insurance and air tickets. The support that DUT and Metropolia have given to me shows that I am in good hands. I would like to thank the Nursing Department for trusting me to represent DUT. I wish to say that that they will not regret sending me abroad, I will make sure that I make them proud by raising the name of DUT and my department high,” added Zuma. The two ladies are proud to be the first two nursing students from DUT to go abroad on an exchange programme and are planning to create lifetime memories. Nzama enrolled at DUT in 2017, to study towards her Honours Degree in Bachelor of Health Sciences in Nursing. Her strong bond with her grandmother, who was a nurse by profession, made her pursue a career in nursing.
