Sheila Tlou To Receive Prestigious Award
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday May 2, 2017 16:26
Through her dedication and hard work in the nursing profession, Tlou was nominated for the Christiane Reimann award last year in Thailand. The Christiane Reimann Prize is named after the International Council of Nurses’ first full-time Executive Secretary and is funded by a trust reserve established through Reimann’s will.
When addressing the gathering during Tlou’s Christiane Remann award ceremony hosted by Botswana Nurses Union (BONU) on Thursday, the Union’s president, Obonolo Rahube applauded Tlou for her hard work and dedication in the nursing field. He said she had set a great example for other nurses.
“Today we are celebrating our own nursing icon, Tlou for winning this prestigious award. This achievement shows us as nurses that yes, we can achieve whatever we want to achieve if we are passionate and dedicated to our profession. This award is first of its kind in our nursing profession,” he said.
According to the Chief Nursing Officer, Khumo Modisaeman, Christiane Reimann was the first full time executive of nursing. She said Reimann was born in Denmark and graduated from Copenhagen’s Bispebjerg Hospital in 1916. Modisaeman added that Reimann became Executive Secretary of ICN in 1925. She said in 1934 she left ICN to manage her farm in Syracuse, Italy where she died in 1979 at the age of 92.
“Christiane Reimann believed in the tremendous potential of nursing and ICN. She initiated many key ICN programmes including the creation of ICN’s official journal, the International Nursing Review. The Christiane Reimann Prize recognises outstanding nursing achievement and is known all over the world as nursing’s most prestigious international award,” she said.
The prize is awarded every four years to one or more Registered Nurses (first level), who have made a significant impact on the nursing profession internationally, or through the nursing profession for the benefit of humanity. The prize is a substantial cash award and a hand-painted porcelain statue of a nurse.
“The award epitomises the values and standards that define ICN as the leader in nursing internationally. The list of previous recipients represents a wealth of outstanding achievements in nursing science and practice. We urge you to take part in choosing the next nurse to join this list. It could be someone who has touched your life,” Modisaeman explained.
She explained that nominees might come from any part of the world and from any nursing background. She said a nurse’s vision, leadership and commitment to the advancement of nursing knowledge, makes her or him an eligible nominee.
According to Barclays Life Managing Director Motshabi Mokone, Tlou’s achievement has raised the country’s flag higher.
“Tlou is the first Motswana and for that matter the first woman in the whole of Africa to receive this noble price. This shows that Batswana are recognised for their noble work in the nursing profession. As we know, nursing requires dedication, passion and time. I therefore urge other nurses to look up to Tlou as they will reap something out of it by the end of the day,” she said.
For his part, the Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness Dikgang Makgalemele described Tlou as an icon who dedicated most of her life to the nursing profession to benefit the nation. He said he was proud of her for winning a high-powered award and making the whole of Africa proud.
“This country has produced competent nurses including those that were taught by Tlou. She is the first nurse to join politics and was the first to be nominated the elected Member of Parliament (MP). She is the first nurse to become the Minister of health. Having been the director of UNAIDS, her voice has been heard.
She has worked hard to change lives and has worked on HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other diseases campaigns,” he said. Tlou expressed her excitement over her achievement. She said even though she was retiring from UNAIDS in June this year, her work would continue. She said Christiane Reimann award was her 25th award in her career.