BACKSTORY: Damilola Iduye began her nursing career in Nigeria more than 20 years ago. After completing her three-year nursing diploma in Nigeria, she worked as a nurse before heading to university to earn her Bachelor of Nursing Science degree. In February 2012, she moved to Nova Scotia to join her husband. After hitting numerous roadblocks in obtaining her nursing license in Canada, an experience common to many internationally educated nurses, she decided to pursue a Master of Nursing (MN), Health Policy Practicum Stream, at Dalhousie as a pathway to obtaining professional recertification in Canada.
Iduye knew early on in her career that she wanted to be in academia. During her master’s degree, she took up teaching assistant (TA) roles in different nursing courses and completed the Certificate in University Teaching and Learning program for graduate students. She says this was her formal entryway into academia, and the skills and experience she gained at this time prepared her for the career path she’s on now. In particular, her experience as a TA for two community health nursing courses with Dr. Adele Vukic, her MN Advisor, shaped her interest in nursing education. After graduating, she taught nursing at the Nova Scotia Community College, Truro campus, before joining the Dalhousie School of Nursing in September 2017. Iduye was promoted to Senior Instructor in 2021.
Iduye says that while she considers herself an educator, she also values the importance of working in clinical settings. She maintained her clinical practice as a registered nurse (RN) at Shannex Vimy Court until 2018 and at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre, where she worked at the Medical Day Unit before joining the Public Health Department in 2021.
HIGHLIGHTS: It was in 2019 that Iduye decided to undertake more studies to gain knowledge and develop skills and competencies in public health practice, education, and research. She opted to get a second master’s degree in public health from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite the challenges of completing the degree virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she went for it, and her timing could not have been more perfect. Working in public health was a dream job for Iduye, so the pandemic was a catalyst for a shift in career.
“Everything just aligned,” Iduye says.
When she describes herself, she says she’s a public health educator, a public health researcher, a community advocate, as well as a registered nurse. “I wouldn’t change anything about my career path. Working in the community just makes sense to me.”
In September of 2022, Iduye resigned from her public health nurse position at Nova Scotia Health and took an educational leave from Dalhousie to temporarily relocate to Ontario to pursue her PhD in Public Health Science at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She returned to Nova Scotia in September of 2024 and jumped right back into the classroom.
WHY I DO IT: Iduye says the highlights of her career at Dal are the students. Whether she’s the primary instructor for a class or working collaboratively with other instructors, taking the role of clinical preceptor or tutorial lead, she makes sure she’s there when students need extra support. She believes providing an appropriate learning environment and opportunity is essential for success. Being a relational educator and striving to foster a conducive atmosphere for a positive learning experience is her core principle for teaching.
She describes her students as an embodiment of knowledge. “Part of my teaching philosophy is viewing the student as a co-contributor or a co-constructor of knowledge because they’re not coming into the program from a vacuum—they have life experience, and they have knowledge.”
When asked what the best part of her work is, there’s no hesitation. “The best part is seeing my students graduate,” Iduye says. “Working with students is a privilege. Seeing the growth, the maturity, the readiness to become a nurse, and then seeing them walk off that stage as a new grad brings me so much joy.”
This story appeared in the DAL Magazine Fall 2024 issue. Flip through the rest of the issue using the links below.