Kenya’s nursing and midwifery workforce faces significant challenges in workforce retention and distribution. With only 8.3 nurses per 10,000 people—far below the World Health Organization’s recommended 25 per 10,000—the country struggles to meet healthcare demands.
To help tackle these challenges, FNF and the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) partnered with Ministry of Health in Kenya, the UK-based Kenya Nurses and Midwives Association UK (KENMA-UK) and the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust to deliver a leadership development programme to strengthen nursing and midwifery capacity across Kenya.
Read on to find out more about the programme and its impact.
A Four-Pronged Approach to Leadership Development
The programme comprised of a number of different elements to achieve its impacts:
- Intensive Leadership Training
A key part of the the programme was face-to-face leadership training for 50 mid-level nurse and midwife managers. Participants were selected from all 47 counties to ensure national representation. Over 10 months, these leaders also received ongoing development support, focusing on Quality Improvement (QI) methodology to support a change improvement project for each participant. - Expanding Reach Through Webinars
To widen the impact, a series of monthly webinars engaged 500 nurses and midwives nationwide and with UK-based mentors. This community of practice enabled knowledge-sharing and collaboration across regions. - Mentorship Programme with UK-based nurses and midwives
A mentorship programme partnered Kenyan nurses and midwives with mentors from the Kenya Nurses and Midwives Association UK. This initiative facilitated two-way learning, allowing insights into healthcare in different settings. - Global Scholarship Opportunity
One senior leader was selected for the FNF Scholarship programme, providing exposure to international best practices and other leaders.
During the leadership programme I conducted a change project in my facility. Neonatal fatality rate in new-born units in Kenya is on the rise, in Makueni County 1 in 22 children die before their first birthday. I therefore took it upon myself to evaluate the impact of a nurse training programme on neonatal outcomes in Kilungu Sub County Hospital where I work. After conducting the programme, nurses showed higher levels of knowledge and neonatal resuscitation skills at 1 month after the training program compared to their knowledge and practice before training. Neonatal mortality dropped by 47%.
Anne Mumbe
More on QI projects
Nolyne Boit: Improving immunization update among infants in Ndhiwa sub-county
Mery Bore: Improving availability of commodities in Ainamoi sub-county hospital
Transformative Outcomes
The programme achieved significant improvements and impacts in leadership skills and confidence, workforce retention, and healthcare outcomes.
- Enhanced Leadership Confidence: Post-programme, 96% of participants felt ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ confident, up from 18%.
- Application of New Skills: 85% of participants actively applied leadership and QI skills, improving patient care and team performance.
- Quality Improvement Success: QI projects led to tangible benefits, such as reduced mortality rates, increased immunisation coverage, and improved infection control. Click here to view some of the participants’ QI project posters.
- Strengthened Professional Commitment: 97% of participants said the programme influenced their decision to remain in the profession.
- Improved Self-Efficacy: Participants showed substantial growth in self-efficacy across all measured dimensions, demonstrating the programme’s success in developing resilient healthcare leaders.
The programme has given me the skills to lead more effectively, communicate with diverse stakeholders, and implement structured approaches to CME participation. My colleagues have also become more engaged in professional development, leading to improved knowledge retention and better patient outcomes. I hope to expand the impact of my CME initiative by refining engagement strategies, scaling up participation efforts, and possibly integrating technology to improve access. Additionally, I aim to mentor other nurses and healthcare professionals on the importance of leadership in driving educational programmes. This journey has reinforced my belief that leadership is about creating opportunities for growth, both for myself and those around me.
Margaret Kariuki
Download the full Overview and Impact Report
This programme was part of The Global Health Partnerships’ (formerly THET) Global Health Workforce Programme, funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, to develop the health workforce in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, supporting them to build stronger, more resilient health systems for post-pandemic recovery and to make progress towards universal health coverage.
