Enhancing Research Skills for Nurses & Midwives in Malawi Health System: A Capacity Building Workshop

16-17 September 2024

Sri Lanka WorkshopNEW Location: National Organization of Nurses and Midwives Hall, Capital City,  Lilongwe, Malawi (poster will be updated shortly)
Language: English
Target Audience: Nurses and midwives working in government, private, and non-governmental healthcare institutions, as well as lecturers and students from nursing universities and colleges across Malawi.
Event capacity increased to 80 nurses and midwives

Nurses and midwives are crucial to Malawi's healthcare system, but many lack the research skills needed to improve healthcare delivery. This limits opportunities to explore new methods and treatments through research. To address this gap, a research workshop will be held for nurses and midwives from across Malawi, representing government, private, and faith-based health institutions. This in person workshop aims to equip participants with research skills like grant proposal writing and data analysis. By building research capacity among nurses and midwives, this initiative can lead to increased participation in health research, improved nursing care through evidence-based practices, and ultimately, a Malawi health system guided by scientific data.

      

Summary of workshop outputs

The "Enhancing Research Skills for Nurses and Midwives in Malawi" workshop took place from September 16-17, 2024, at the Bridge View Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi. This capacity-building event, organized by Louis Ng’oma, Malawi, in collaboration with Global Research Nurses - The Global Health Network at Oxford University, aimed to bridge the research skills gap among nurses and midwives.

With 46 participants from various health institutions, the workshop offered training on research methodologies, data management, grant proposal writing, and report writing. The hands-on sessions focused on equipping attendees with the necessary tools and techniques to conduct high-quality research and make evidence-based decisions in healthcare. Attendees also had the opportunity to practice data entry and analysis using tools like DHIS2 and SPSS, significantly enhancing their practical skills.

The event was honoured by the presence of the Director of Research under the Ministry of Health and the Director of the Nurses and Midwives Council, who officially opened the workshop. The workshop also received significant coverage, being featured on the Ministry of Health’s website and highlighted in the news. Support from the National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi further boosted the success of the workshop, strengthening research coordination within the country and paving the way for continued collaboration.

Key outcomes of the workshop include:

  • A notable improvement in participants' ability to design research proposals and manage data effectively.
  • Establishment of a mentorship program to provide ongoing support to participants.
  • Enhanced networking and collaboration among healthcare professionals, strengthening research initiatives in Malawi.
  • A commitment by the Ministry of Health to support trained nurses and midwives in their research efforts.
  • The workshop was highly praised for its impactful content, with participants expressing their eagerness to apply their new skills to improve patient care. Recommendations for future workshops include extending the training duration and offering more in-depth sessions on data management and grant writing.

This successful event marks a significant step forward in empowering nurses and midwives in Malawi to take an active role in healthcare research, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes in the region.

 

Presentation Slides

Malawi

Module 2

Malawi

Module 6

Malawi

DHIS 2 Overview

Malawi

Report

Malawi

TGHN Research Methods

Malawi

Intro to Health Research

Malawi

Research Report Writing

Malawi

Research Grant Writing

Learning objectives and expected outcomes

This workshop aims to address the research skills gap for nurses and midwives in Malawi. Through interactive sessions with local research experts, participants will gain the knowledge and tools needed to conduct high-quality research in their health setting.

Learning Objectives

  1. To build the capacity of Nurses and Midwives on how to develop and design quality health research studies.
  2. To train Nurses and Midwives on quality proposal grant writing skills.
  3. To train Nurses and Midwives on Research methodologies skills.
  4. To build the capacity of Nurses and Midwives on research question development, data management, data analysis and quality reporting skills.
  5. To orient and train Nurses on how to use referencing software.

Expected outcomes

  1. Improved research skills and knowledge among the participating nurses, including in areas such as research design, data analysis, and report writing. This will lead to increased research productivity: Participants can learn from experienced researchers and apply their newfound knowledge to their own projects, resulting in more and higher-quality research outputs.
  2. Improved Grant Writing and Funding Proposals: With enhanced reference management skills, nurses will be able to produce more compelling and well-cited grant proposals, increasing their chances of securing research funding.
  3. Increased opportunities for professional development and advancement for participating nurses, as well as for further training and education in research methods and practices.
  4. Improved knowledge and skills in developing quality research questions and research objectives.
  5. Enhanced Academic Writing Skills: Nurses will be better equipped to produce well-organized and properly cited academic papers, enhancing the quality of their research publications and contributing to evidence-based practice.