Docia Kisseih facts for kids
Docia Angelina Naki Kisseih (1919–2008) was a very important Ghanaian nurse, midwife, and teacher. She was the first Ghanaian to become the Chief Nursing Officer for her country after Ghana became independent from British rule. Docia Kisseih helped create many new and better ways of nursing and teaching nurses. When she was in her fifties, she started teaching at a university. She also studied to become the first nurse in Ghana to earn a special high-level degree called a doctorate. She was also a leader in many groups for nurses.
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Early Life and Learning
Docia Kisseih was born on August 13, 1919, in Odumase, Manya Krobo. She went to local schools run by European missionaries. First, she attended an infant school, and then Krobo Girls Senior High School.
When she was a teenager, she sometimes went with her grandmother, who was a midwife. This meant her grandmother helped women have babies. Docia saw firsthand what a midwife did.
In 1938, she finished her studies at Achimota School. Then, in 1940, she started three years of nursing training. She studied at the Korle Bu maternity hospital, focusing on how to be a midwife. At that time, it was easier for young women in Ghana to become midwives than nurses. Ghana's first official nursing college opened in 1945.
A Career in Nursing
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In 1943, Docia Kisseih began her long career in nursing. She worked for over thirty years. Back then, nursing education in Ghana was still developing. To get important jobs under British rule, she had to go to England in the 1950s to get more training.
Becoming Chief Nursing Officer
In 1961, Ghana became an independent country. Docia Kisseih was then made the Chief Nursing Officer. This was a very important job. She wanted nurses in Ghana to have university degrees.
To start this, a special two-year program began in 1963. This program helped train nurses to become teachers and managers. It was a team effort between the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Ghanaian government. Nurses from Ghana and other English-speaking countries in Africa joined this program.
Changing Healthcare in Ghana
Docia Kisseih also helped change how healthcare was given in Ghana. She moved it away from just being in hospitals. Instead, she focused on healthcare that served communities. This was a better fit for Ghanaian society.
She created a new plan for teaching nurses. The WHO supported this plan. It taught nurses about public health and caring for people in their communities. It also focused on helping mothers and children stay healthy. Docia Kisseih also set up a special fund. This fund helped some nurses train abroad until better education was available in Ghana.
Teaching and Higher Education
From 1975 to 1981, Docia Kisseih taught at the University of Ghana. At the same time, she was studying for her own high-level degree. In 1980, she earned her doctorate from Boston University in the United States. This made her the first nurse in Ghana to have such a degree.
Also in 1980, the first four-year bachelor's degree in nursing started at the university's Legon campus. People said she "transformed and modernised nursing education." They praised her "strong imaginative leadership." She made sure that nursing standards stayed high after many foreign nurses left Ghana after independence.
Leadership and Awards
Docia Kisseih was the person who started the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA). She was also its first president when it began in 1960. She was also part of other important groups. These included the National Health Planning Committee and the Nurses and Midwives Board.
She represented Africa on the International Council of Nurses. She was also their vice-president from 1973 to 1977. Docia Kisseih also helped many volunteer groups. These included the Ghana Red Cross Society, the Girl Guides, and the St John Ambulance Association.
In 1984, the country honored her. In 1986, her picture was put on the 100 cedi banknote.
Docia Kisseih received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on her 89th birthday. She was very weak, so the ceremony was held at her home. She passed away later that month, in August 2008. In 2015, the GRNA started a series of lectures. They are called the Dr Docia Kisseih Memorial Lectures, to remember her.
Images for kids
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Docia Kisseih
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Docia Kisseih on old 100 cedis note
