To offer elderly people a good home and to care for them sensitively - but also on the basis of the latest scientific care findings: That is Samssoudini Adjai's mission. That is why the 36-year-old, who originally comes from Togo, completed his studies in nursing science at The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) after completing his apprenticeship in geriatric nursing.
Samssoudini Adjai did not actually plan to become a care manager one day. He comes from Togo and studied German language and literature there - "because the German language has always fascinated me". He went to Germany in 2015 - actually to continue his studies. "But then I took a different path and became a carer." There he learnt that care is much more than just washing. "It's about understanding, it's about helping, caring and looking after. You build up a special bond with the senior citizens."
After the three-year apprenticeship, Samssoudini Adjai wanted more: "I still wanted to study - and was happy to learn that The Hochschule Niederrhein in Krefeld, where I also completed my apprenticeship, offers a nursing degree programme." What Samssoudini Adjai particularly appreciated was the opportunity to study on a career-integrated basis. "This allowed me to continue working in a retirement home while I studied and put what I had learnt directly into practical application." In principle, the Bachelor's degree programme in Nursing at the Faculty of Health Care at HSNR can be studied on a dual basis - i.e. in parallel with an apprenticeship as a nursing professional - or career-integrated.
Bringing the latest findings from the university into practical application - that is still Samssoudini Adjai's goal today, after completing his studies. This is why he not only works as a care manager, but also as a trainer for other care professionals. "I accompany and coach these specialists and thus support their further development in nursing. It's an exciting challenge, but it wouldn't have been possible without the studies." He also offers training courses on various nursing topics and takes care of quality management and evaluations. "These are exactly the things that the studies have qualified me for."
The Bachelor's degree programme in Nursing at HSNR not only qualifies students to directly care for people of all ages in various Health Care facilities, but also to further develop the quality of care based on evidence and to develop and critically question practical and interdisciplinary solutions to problems. Students should acquire the skills to participate in quantitative and qualitative studies and evaluations. This requires the confident handling and mastery of scientific instruments and methods for carrying out complex nursing interventions.
Samssoudini Adja found the mix of students particularly exciting. "You could exchange ideas with fellow students who also came from completely different areas of nursing, for example from large hospitals. "These are new perspectives that are always enriching." Incidentally, he can imagine studying for a Master's degree in nursing in the future.
More information on the Bachelor's degree programme in Nursing at: www.hs-niederrhein.de/gesundheitswesen/studieninteressierte/b-sc-pflege/
