History/Profile
The Nairobi Hospital Cicely McDonell College of Health Science, an initiative of the Kenya Hospital Association, was opened in 1956. It is named after Sister Cicely McDonell, a woman who made an immense personal contribution to the welfare and health of Kenyan people. She set high professional standards in all her work and she spent most of her life in Maternity Nursing in Nairobi.
Her life of devoted service was and has remained an inspiring example to Kenyans who undertake the Nursing profession. The school was the first privately owned nursing school in pre-independence Kenya. Headed by Miss Campbell, the first sister tutor, the school admitted only five students who were white. African student nurses were first admitted in 1962.
Today, 60 nurses graduate every year from the school on average. To date, over one thousand six hundred nurses have graduated from the institution, a third of which have been absorbed by the Nairobi Hospital.
The rest have joined public and private organizations locally and abroad. Located in a serene environment with beautiful and well-maintained gardens, the school offers a favorable environment that molds the right attitude for nursing education. The resources available include well equipped lecture rooms, skills laboratory, computer skills laboratory and a library resource centre equipped with modern books, internet services and other teaching and learning materials.
The management of the school has built an exemplary institution that continues to produce graduates who are professionally outstanding through education and practical training. Today, it has become a necessary resource in medical care in Kenya producing qualified responsible nurses who deliver healthcare with a difference.
Student Nurses Welfare
The welfare of students at the Cicely McDonell College of Health Science is of utmost importance to the management as it gives a state of equilibrium of the physical, mental, social and spiritual components of student nurses. The students are therefore provided with homely environment and are encouraged to participate in charitable and spiritual activities such as the Christian Union, Catholic Action among others. The facilities include a nurses’ home, catering, health care and recreational facilities such as swimming pool, football, darts, netball, volley ball and other indoor games.
The students also organize major activities which include charity events, a swimming gala, a Christmas concert, sports activities, open days and corporate social responsibility activities.