Community and Mental Health Department

The Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing (CMHN) takes the initiative in fostering and strengthening the relationship between the College and the Community. The Department provides quality education to students to prepare them as efficient community and mental health nurses. We aim to prepare competent graduates who will effectively respond to health issues and disparities that affect individuals, groups, families and communities utilizing evidence-based approaches as well as promote mental health in the community and manage clients with mental health disorders and psychiatric problems. As a department we are committed to improving health and health care for those served by community-based health care systems through educating culturally competent nurses, conducting research and providing services in the community which address the health issues of those under-served by the traditional institution-based health care system. The CMHN department operates by emphasizing and reorienting the health services to move beyond the traditional curative health services model to an expanded mandate where healthy life styles and living conditions are promoted at all levels.
We believe that the availability of competent skilled health workers for health promotion, disease prevention and rehabilitation in the community is essential for contributing towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
We offer Community Health and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing courses which encompass modules such as Child Health nursing, Reproductive Health nursing, Family Planning, Health Assessment, Adolescent Health, Health Promotion and Patient Education among others in both integrated (Nursing and Midwifery) and direct entry programs. These modules provide a foundation for planning and evaluating community health programs; learning about community health concepts, health promotion, population-level interventions, health care systems, leadership, health policy; addressing health disparities of vulnerable and diverse populations and also practising and consulting in diverse and multicultural settings. The department creatively plans all its activities towards strengthening the humane and technical skills of students to enable them provide quality services to individuals, family and community.
Dr Mercy Pindani

Dr Mercy Pindani Principal

KCN Principal, July 2017 to date Dr Pindani has been a lecturer in the Community and Mental Health department since 2001. She currently serves as Principal of the Kamuzu College of Nursing and Associate Professor in the department. Dr Pindani obtained her PhD in Nursing (HIV and AIDS, Palliative care, Adolescent Health) in 2010 from UNISA. Dr Pindani was awarded Master of Trainer in HIV and AIDS by the Ministry of Health. Read more
Mrs Madalo Malemba

Mrs Madalo Malemba Head of Department

Head of Department, 2017 to date Mrs Malemba has been a lecturer in the Community and Mental Health Nursing department since 2009. She obtained her Masters in Community and Mental Health Nursing from the University of Nairobi in 2014. Read more
Dr Diana Linda Jere

Dr Diana Linda Jere Associate Professor

Associate Professor, Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing since July 2014 Dr Diana Linda Jere obtained her PhD from the University of Chicago at Illinois in 2013. She served as Principal of Kamuzu College of Nursing from 2004 to 2008. Her areas of interest are mental health and HIV prevention. Read more

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