Bhubaneswar: For Sunita Panda, giving back to Odisha means more than contributing money – it implies sharing skills she acquired while building her nursing career in Dublin, Ireland, since 2005.The NRI healthcare professional now provides free nursing training in the state and outside, working with institutions like AIIMS Bhubaneswar to help strengthen the next generation of workers. “It gives me an opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with my peers and students from my homeland and learn from them. It keeps me connected with my nursing and midwifery friends and colleagues in India,” said Sunita, now assistant professor in midwifery, school of nursing and midwifery, Trinity College Dublin.Starting in 2020, she has delivered 21 in-person and virtual sessions for nursing faculty and research students in India. Among the other institutions where she has delivered talks are AIIMS Bhopal, private institutions in Karnataka, Bhubaneswar and her alma mater College of Nursing, Berhampur. “Apart from guest talks, I have started a collaborative research group with my nursing peers from India,” said Sunita. Her explanations on different topics prompt her peers to invite her for talks. “She often shares her experiences, which are different from our academic experience. Students request interactions with her, and she agrees despite her tight schedules,” said Anuradha Panda, dean of a private nursing college in Phulnakhara.
