New NNCGSI winners announced!

Earlier this year, the Nursing Now Challenge ran two Global Solutions Initiatives in collaboration with the World Innovation Summit for Health. These NNCGSIs focused on the role of nurses in tackling the climate crisis and driving digital innovation to improve person-centred care.

Today, we are delighted to announce the winners of these challenges who will receive $1,000 to develop their innovative ideas and take part in the WISH Summit, Doha, 2022, where they will have the opportunity to present their innovations.

Tackling the Climate Crisis

The Lancet Commission identified climate change as the planet’s primary public health threat of the 21st century. It is likely that the prevalence of climate-related diseases increases if actions to mitigate environmental changes are not taken. 

The winners of this challenge created a movement, “GalesActGreen” to build a wide network of climate literate nurses who will serve as change agents by creating awareness of the impacts of climate change on health.

A recent study carried out by the GalesActGreen team revealed that 75% of nurses in Oyo state, Nigeria recognise they have a responsibility to address climate change but do not feel well-equipped to do so. GalesActGreen aims to educate and launch a movement of nurses committed to climate solutions at home and in care settings in Oyo State. Cohorts of informed and more engaged nurses will be built through a virtual platform.

“We are overawed yet, humbled by this win and encouraged to do more, knowing that the efforts we put in will be rewarded. In line with our mission to ensure that, every nurse in Nigeria and indeed Africa is not only conscious about climate change but, is fully aware of its impact on human health as well as the environment; better positioning them in their roles in promulgating climate consciousness among members of the public, the GalesActGreen while leveraging on strategic partnerships hopes to create a digital platform to make certain that knowledge about Climate Change is made readily accessible and affordable to the principal drivers of this initiative – the Nurses. This digital platform will provide access to relevant resources in addition to, creating virtual workspaces to facilitate collaboration among nurses in generating solutions that tackle the health impact of climate change affecting identified communities in the region,” the GalesActGreen team. 

Winning team members…

Lois Ezebuiro is a fifth-year Nursing student at the University of Ibadan who is passionate about social impact. Besides her role as Co-founder and director of publications with the GalesActGreen initiative, she is the 2021/2022 Hult Prize Campus Director at the University of Ibadan. She now serves as a member of the Student Nurse committee of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) as well as the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) where she functions as the Western Region Representative. Lois is a fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a 2020 Millennium Fellow and a fellow of the Bridge Program.

Christianah Jegede, a fifth-year nursing student at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, is the Co-Founder and Research Officer of the GalesActGreen initiative. For this work she was named a Millennium Fellow of the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), and she is currently undergoing an elective program at the Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya through the African Forum for Research and Education in Health. 

Eric Ogunleye is a fifth-year nursing student, registered Nurse and a published researcher, passionate about policymaking, public health, mental health and the health implications of climate change. He serves as the Social Media Manager and Programs Manager at GalesActGreen. He is also a member of various organizations such as Nigerian Red Cross society, Asido foundation and The Ganglion Initiative where he renders his services to significantly contribute to the health and well-being of his local community.

Omotayo Adetunji is a fifth-year nursing student at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria who functions as the Co-Founder and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the GalesActGreen Initiative. She is a fellow of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) where she was trained in public policy and management and an alumnus of the Clinton Global Initiative University. Omotayo attended the 72nd World Health Assembly as a delegate of the International Council of Nurses courtesy of the Nursing Now Campaign. Omotayo believes in the power of policymaking and implementation to positively transform the fortunes of the most marginalized communities in Africa.

Digital innovation to improve patient-care

Lucía Fernández-Miranda Frías

“I am grateful and delighted to have been chosen as the winner of the NNCGSI Digital Challenge,” Lucía Fernández-Miranda Frías.

Lucia has been a nurse since 2016, working in multiple services, all of them focused on emergencies and on critical units. Since 2019 she has been working in the Intensive Care Unit of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra at its headquarters in Madrid. 

Lucia’s project focuses on the use of Virtual Reality Glasses (VRG) for adults in the Intensive Care Unit at the University Clinic of Navarra in Madrid, in order to reduce stress symptoms like pain, anxiety, delirium and fear that patients frequently present in this area.

To develop this method, Lucia plans to introduce the use of VRG through which different videos will be projected to simulate natural and relaxing environments. With this system, the intention is that the patient is immersed for a few minutes in an environment of relaxation and abstraction to allow them to reduce pain, anxiety, fear and stress induced by being admitted to an ICU ward.

“It is important to introduce and make use of new technologies to innovate in the hospital environment, not only for medical treatments, but also for the humanisation of the hospital stay for intensive treatments. I am happy and excited to have won this NNCGSI challenge. It is an honor to be part of this initiative and to be able to promote new nursing projects that improve nursing practices and increase the quality of patient care. As a result, I hope to achieve a better experience for patients in intensive care units, reducing most symptoms of discomfort that these patients suffer. My professional activity has always been based on close, personal, and humanised care for patients.”  Lucía Fernández-Miranda Frías.

Many congratulations to all our winners! Stay tuned to hear more about their project plans in 2022!