Three of the Weiners Academy students have just completed the 5 month practical course at Stepping Stone Hospice, resulting in them receiving their Community Health Work Level 4 diplomas from Weiners. We caught up with two of these students, Dikeledi Kgatla (23) and Zanele Kabuza (22) and talked to them about their experiences as students at the hospice’s In-Patient Unit in New Market Park.

Both students agreed that their time at Stepping Stone Hospice has changed their perspectives of life, it made them confident “and brave enough to face the many challenges of life”. “We’ve also learned that a patient’s dignity is possibly the most important aspect of nursing care.”

Dikeledi explains that her career choice had its roots in her childhood – her late father was very sick and she always wished she had more knowledge so that she could have cared for him. Zanele has a very similar story – a relative suffered from a chronic disease and she always felt that she should have been better equipped to help her relative not suffer the way he did.

Going forward, both students will now study further, Zanele wants to qualify as a paramedic whilst Dikeledi will continue her studies to further her nursing career.

Caption: Sister Beth Ndlovo (left) and Sister Sheryl Newman (right) here with students Dikeledi Kgatla and Zanele Kabuza.