For the Presence research team from the North-West University’s (NWU) School of Nursing, a 10-day visit to the Netherlands became more than an academic exchange. It was an opportunity to listen, learn and share ideas about what it means to provide care with compassion and genuine human connection.
The NWU team joined colleagues from the University of Pretoria (UP) and the North West Department of Health for an international learning visit focused on strengthening nursing science, healthcare practice and partnerships between South Africa and the Netherlands.
The delegation included Prof. Tinda Rabie, Dr Kathleen Froneman, Anna-Therese Swart and Didi Marcadonatos from the NWU, Dr Rudo Ramalisa from UP and Dr Lillian Kalimashe, a specialised community psychiatric nurse coordinating mental health services within a South African health district.
During the visit, the delegation engaged with healthcare and academic institutions across the Netherlands, including hospitals, universities and community-based organisations. Each stop offered a different perspective on nursing education, leadership, compassionate care and the role of relationships in healthcare.
At the centre of these conversations was a simple but powerful idea, that presence matters.
For the Presence research team, presence means being fully attentive to the person in front of you – whether that person is a patient, family member, student or colleague. The delegation explored how this approach can strengthen therapeutic relationships, improve patient experiences and support the wellbeing of healthcare professionals.
The programme combined presentations and workshops with practical learning experiences. The team explored topics such as reflective practice, mindfulness, care ethics, spirituality in nursing, implementation science and community-based mental healthcare. Innovative activities, including virtual reality patient simulations and disability simulation exercises, also offered new ways of understanding empathy and the experiences of others.
The learning was not one-sided.
The South African delegation shared its own research, knowledge and experiences with Dutch colleagues, including work on presence in caring, Ubuntu in nursing, primary healthcare, relational leadership and reflective practices in nursing education.
These conversations revealed a strong connection between the work being done in South Africa and the Netherlands, despite the differences between the two healthcare systems.
“Presence” became more than a research concept during the visit. It became a shared language for discussing how healthcare professionals can slow down, listen carefully and connect meaningfully with the people they serve.
The visit also opened the door to new possibilities. Discussions explored opportunities for joint research, postgraduate supervision, staff and student exchanges, collaborative publications, curriculum development and future academic engagements. A strategic meeting between senior leaders from the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and the NWU further strengthened the commitment to building lasting international partnerships.
For the delegation, however, the value of the visit extended beyond lecture rooms and hospitals.
Experiencing Dutch healthcare, education and culture offered an opportunity to see familiar challenges from a different perspective. The team returned to South Africa with new ideas, renewed energy and practical insights that can contribute to nursing education, research, leadership and clinical practice.
The visit reaffirmed that while healthcare systems may differ across borders, the need for compassion, connection and attentive care remains universal.
