According to Professor Thembelihle Ngxongo one of the best rewards that a person can give themselves, is personal growth.

“Over the past years within my profession, I have learnt that self-development is significant as it allows a person to grow within their personal space and add value in any environment that they are part of,” said Prof Ngxongo.

The fervent Prof Ngxongo is the Acting Head of Department (HOD) for the Department of Nursing at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Indumiso Campus.

When sharing her work experience, Prof Ngxongo explained that working at DUT for the past years has instilled the love and passion in her to continuously improve her knowledge and acquire more qualifications within her profession.

“I have always loved my career, the past years have been exciting yet challenging at the same time, having to move from being a specialist instructor to be an Associate Professor, Quality Assurance Manager for five years, Facility Manager for three years. I have also been a professional nurse and midwife in different health settings including public and private hospitals and clinics for eighteen years,” she said.

She further added that throughout her career and experiences accumulated within the DUT, she is motivated to actively engage in research through writing for publication and conference presentations, collaborate with national and international stakeholders, participate in curriculum activities including development and renewal community engagement at faculty and departmental level.

“My future aspirations for the Nursing Department and the University as a whole is to improve quality of teaching and learning to enable high-quality graduates and to continue to strive for excellence and being ranked among top universities,” she added.

When sharing her day to day routine, Prof Ngxongo mentioned that her work may sometimes be demanding but she enjoys it. She has also mastered the art of having daily plans and having a work-life balance.

Prof Ngxongo explained that in alignment with the University’s ENVISION2030, their department is still trying to grasp the concept of entrepreneurship since their training and modality of education delivery has mostly been towards employability rather than entrepreneurship.

“It will be very beneficial for our students to gain knowledge and skills that will not only assist them to get employed. We need to teach them to learn and understand the entrepreneurship side of nursing so they can go to the professional environment ready and prepared for all the possible opportunities,” said Prof Ngxongo.

Pictured: Professor Thembelihle Ngxongo, (Photo credit: Vusi Dlamini.).

Zanele Mashaba