Dr. Okubatsion Tekeste, PhD

Full Name: DR. OKUBATSION TEKESTE OKUBE
Marital Status: Married
Nationality: Eritrean
Religion: Christian
Date of Birth: June 15, 1978
Gender: Male
Address: P.O.BOX 62157-00200
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: tokube@cuea.edu/tekeste.ok@gmail.com
Cell Phone: 0708552801/0100385172

Career Objective
To make an impact in cardiovascular diseases and maternal child health care through capacity building of health workers, research, and policy development.

Summary
Dr. Tekeste is a nurse lecturer at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). He is highly skilled, motivated and team player nurse with over 12 years of experience in teaching, clinical settings, community health and health research. His experiences cut across the horn of East Africa having worked in Eritrea and in Kenya as a clinical nurse officer, health manager, educator and research coordinator in maternal and child health programs in both private and public sectors. He participated in grant proposal writing, budgeting and capacity building of health facility teams through training and mentorship. Dr. Tekeste holds a Ph.D. degree in Nursing, Master of Science in Community Health Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He has special interest in cardiovascular diseases and maternal and child health research and have carried out several researches and published over 20 publications in the same fields. He has strong leadership, interpersonal, training, teaching, mentorship, communication skills, problem solving and organizational skills and can work under pressure with minimal supervision.

Education and Training
2017-2022
PhD in Nursing (Community Health)
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, NAIROBI, KENYA.

2013-2015
Master of Sciences in Nursing (Community Health Nursing)
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, NAIROBI, KENYA

2005-2009
Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing
ASMARA COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, ASMARA, ERITREA

1996-2002
Middle and Secondary School Certificates
DEKEMHARE COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL, ERITREA

1991-1996
Elementary school Certificate
ZIGHB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ERITREA.

Key Areas of Expertise and Competence

• Strong leadership and organizational skills with ability to meet stringent deadlines
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong counselling skills
• Strong teaching and learning skills
• Strong writing, presentation and reporting skills
• Strong analytical skills using SPSS software
• Strong project implementation and management skills
• Networking and advocacy
• Information technology proficient

Professional Membership

• Member of the Eritrean Nursing Association
• Registered Nurse-Nursing Council of Kenya

Language Skills
Language Speaking Reading Writing
English Proficient Proficient Proficient
Tigrigna Proficient Proficient Proficient
Amharic Proficient Proficient Proficient

Career Summary
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya January 2020–to date
Head and Dean school of Nursing
Key responsibilities:

• Prepare annual work plan: set targets and performance measurements. Monitor and evaluate activities according to the planned goals and standards. Timely preparation of units on offer, and semester timetable, monitoring examinations and submission of mark-sheets.
• Implement strategic plan: develop, implement and monitor strategic plan for school of nursing in line with University’s vision and mission statements. Facilitate in-service trainings to build staff capacity by collaborating with local and international health institutions.
• Manage school budget: plan and monitor annual budget and other logistics for the school of nursing including clinical placement fees, clinical allowance, conference participation allowance, medical supplies (Hepatitis-B vaccine, uniforms), transportation. Work closely with the clinical coordinator of the school to plan for timely procurement of supplies and equipment.
• Develop and revise academic programs: as the BScN program leader, lead the nursing team during curriculum review and development of new programs.
• Coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders: coordinate with other stakeholders to ensure our students have access to hospitals (public and private) for their clinical placement. Coordinate, collaborate and network with local communities, international partners and stakeholders to address specific needs and leverage resources for enhancing and scaling up the nursing program to postgraduate level.
• Lead departmental meetings: Chair departmental meetings during examination moderation, students’ disciplinary issues, and stakeholders. Provide technical and administrative support to the staff through consultative meetings, and induction for new staff. Using a polarity approach to management, manage conflicts appropriately by balancing the needs and differences of staff as well as students.
• Insurance of quality assurance: ensure quality assurance and compliance with the regulatory body of nursing council of Kenya is maintained through coordination and monitoring of quality teaching, examinations, periodic staff performance evaluation, students’ evaluation. Conduct periodic assessment of the nursing program using SWOT analysis. This involves identification of gaps, strengths, weaknesses in the program management and generate recommendations for improvement. Identifying, benchmarking, and implementing of best practices in academic and departmental management for improved performance and achievements.
• Carry out periodic staff performance evaluation: evaluation of teaching staff performance in workload management, teaching, punctuality, examination preparation and administration, submission of students’ marks, research supervision, publication, among others.
• Lead in community service activities: Coordinate community service activities through mobilization of resources and support vulnerable communities such as orphaned children, marginalized communities, and people with physical and mental disabilities.
• Mentor nursing students: provide counseling services to nursing students concerning the nursing profession, academic progress, career objectives, and ethical issues in the nursing profession.
• Engage in fundraising activities in the Department

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya September, 2016 to date
Lecturer in the Nursing Department

• Preparing and delivering lectures to nursing students; preparing teaching and learning materials; setting, invigilating and marking examinations and assignments; preparing students progress reports; providing inputs in lecturing, training modules and curriculum development; developing and reviewing academic curricula, participating in operational research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books or electronic media. In addition, participating in clinical teaching and student recruitment, registration, and clinical placement activities.
  Units taught: Community health nursing, pediatric and child health nursing, medical biostatistics, research methodology, epidemiology and demography, clinical pharmacology, fundamental of nursing, professionalism in nursing, mental health and psychiatric nursing, environmental and occupational health.

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya September 2016-January 2023
Research Project Coordinator Department of Nursing
Responsibilities:

• Coordinate research activities within and between local and international institutions.
• Facilitate in-service trainings to build staff capacity in nursing research by collaborating with local and international health institutions.
• Review and approve students’ research project topics.
• Allocate research supervisors in line with their areas of specialization and interest.
• Conduct routine monitoring activities to ascertain students’ progress, identify constraints and take corrective measures.
• Facilitate research project approvals by the Kenyatta National Hospital and University of Nairobi ethical research committee and the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI).
• Coordinate research seminars during defenses of proposals and reports.
• Compile and submit research project marks to the registrar office.
• Guide students during proposal development, data analysis, report writing and publication.

MUKURU HEALTH CENTRE, NAIROBI, KENYA October 2015- January 2016
NURSING OFFICER (Volunteer)
Responsibilities:

• As a community health nurse, I participated in multiple roles including direct care provider, educator, advocate, counselor, manager, and collaborator.
• Provided day to day activities including: family planning services, antenatal, intranatal and postnatal services, health education, immunization, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, PMTCT, and growth monitoring for under five among others.
• Participated in the implementation of primary healthcare by conducting community diagnosis and need assessments with regards to the components of primary healthcare such as promotion of food supply for proper nutrition, adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation, Maternal and child health care, immunization against infectious diseases among others.
• Participated in the control and management of outbreak of cholera in the Mukuru community.
• Participated in outreach services by visiting the communities to provide family planning methods, treat minor health problems and give health educations as well referrals based on the identified health needs. During the outreach services, I visited primary school children to assess and evaluate their physical, mental, nutritional status, establish practical goals for the school population and evaluate the process and results of the school health programs.
• Participated in school health program through screening, health education, treatment, minor illnesses and referrals. Assessed and evaluated nutritional status of the school children provided them with the required nursing care.
• Worked very closely with the Nutrition Programme Coordinator to ensure that proper nutritional assessment, evaluation and management is carried out for children under five and pregnant women, both at the facility and outreaches.

OROTTA NATIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL, ASMARA, ERITREA November 2009-August 2013
NURSING OFFICER
Responsibilities:

• Worked as a direct care provider, educator, advocate, counselor and researcher.
• Provided healthcare services to children and pregnant women and attended to the emergency, trauma and minor surgical cases.
• Participated in the implementation of primary healthcare by conducting community diagnosis and need assessments with regards to the components of primary healthcare such as promotion of food supply for proper nutrition, adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation, Maternal and child health care, immunization against infectious diseases among others.

Selected Professional Training, Workshops, Seminars and Conferences

• Emergency nursing
• Leadership and management in nursing
• Nursing and healthcare management
• Basic life support (BLS)
• Nutrition and public health
• Evidence based nursing and advanced clinical practice
• Introduction to paediatric nursing

Selected Publications and Reports

• Tekeste, O. (2019). “Assessment of Factors Contributing to Postpartum Haemorrhage and Care Management among Maternal Mothers Attending Delivery Service at Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Eritrea, East Africa”. Journal of Pregnancy and Child Health. 6(5): 1-5.
• Tekeste, O. (2020). “Assessment of quality of care in maternal health service provision in Orotta National Referral Hospital, Eritrea: Mixed method study. Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, 7(3): 1-6.
• Tekeste, O. (2020). “Development and evaluation of educational strategy for nursing students in the context of essential public health in Eritrea. Advances in Public Health, 2020: 1-7.