Retired Cleveland State nursing instructor teaches profession in West Africa

From Local 3 News: A retired Cleveland State Community College nursing instructor is helping elevate the nursing profession in West Africa.

With more than 40 years of nursing experience, including 16 years teaching at Cleveland State, Nancy Thomas traveled to Chinguetti in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.


The school highlighted her work in a recent Facebook post.

Chinguetti is home to a medical training school named Espoir, which is French for "hope."


It was founded by general surgeon Dr. Amanda Beattie, who has spent the past 15 years in the country training medical doctors and nurses.

Thomas found out about the school from a friend of a friend, and got inspired to help after visiting in 2023.

When asked if she could help, Thomas said, "I was like a kid at Christmas. I would love to help; I was beside myself. I started gathering lectures and sending information to them."
She found a basic maternity labor simulator named "Mama Natalie," which was no longer being used at Cleveland State and could be donated to the school.

"It was great to take the Mama Natalie. We were able to show how it can be used to simulate birth; it will be used by the students and midwives."

Maureen Baksh-Griffin, Director of Nursing at Cleveland State, said "The heart of a nurse educator never retires. It is always looking for ways to uplift individuals and to equip them with the necessary skills to provide safe care."

Thomas said after she retired from being a nurse educator at Cleveland State, she wanted to continue her calling.

"One of the students who had less than a middle school education gave a moving speech at his graduation saying that this was the happiest day of his life! The needs are huge here, but the people are friendly and welcoming; they want us to come," Thomas stated.