Academic Profile

Dr. Ntombana M’cDeline Rala, PhD, MCur, RN, RM, RE, RA. Dr. Ntombana M’cDeline Rala is a distinguished nurse academic and senior lecturer, currently serving as the Head of the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), South Africa. With over three decades of experience in nursing education, research, clinical practice, and public health leadership, Dr. Rala has significantly contributed to maternal and child health, nursing pedagogy, and community-based healthcare delivery. She holds a PhD in Nursing from North-West University, where her doctoral work focused on fostering supportive relationships between midwives, parturients, and birth companions. Her academic credentials include a Master of Nursing in Advanced Midwifery, a Bachelor of Nursing Science in Education and Administration, and multiple education and public health qualifications. Dr Rala is a recipient of the 2024 Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Early Career Research from the University of Fort Hare. Dr. Rala is registered with the South African Nursing Council across several specialities, including general nursing, midwifery, psychiatry, nursing education, and administration. Dr. Rala has taught undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programs extensively, including advanced midwifery, nursing education, pharmacology, and professional practice. She has mentored and supervised numerous Master’s and Doctoral students, contributing to capacity building in health sciences. Her research interests centre on maternal health, early childhood development, simulation in midwifery education, HIV prevention, and public health ethics. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, African Journal of Reproductive Health, and The Open Public Health Journal. She is a co-author of clinical midwifery skills assessment tools and a contributor to a textbook on early childhood care and education. Dr. Rala’s academic contributions extend to external examination, curriculum development, moderation, peer review, and international collaborations. She has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences, including the World Congress on Nursing Practice and Science in Dubai and the International Congress of Women’s Health Issues in Cape Town. Beyond academia, she actively engages in community development and policy advisory roles. She serves on ethics and clinical platform committees of the Eastern Cape Department of Health and is a Lilitha College of Nursing council member. A commitment to quality nursing education, transformative health research, and community-centred healthcare marks her leadership. She is affiliated with professional organisations such as Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Democratic Nurses of South Africa Association (DENOSA), the Southern African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE), the Nurse Educator Association (NEA), and the Society of Midwives of South Africa (SOMSA). Dr. Rala’s scholarly influence is reflected in her growing citation record and international research collaborations. GRANT Dr Rala had an NRF grant: Thuthuka Grant (TTK13061619276) during her PhD studies and became a co-PI on the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) project -STIRIP. Academic engagement, Dr Rala is registered with ResearchGate to disseminate her research outputs. Currently, her profile has 14 publications and three book chapters. Her Citations 216 204 h-index 7 7 i10-index 5 4 orcid.org / 0000-0003-3781-5433