Prof Isabel Coetzee, a recipient of the 2025 Unisa Principal’s Award for Distinguished Alumni in Research, reflects on nursing as a profound calling, and her transformative academic and leadership journey during the Covid-19 pandemic. From working in hospitals during school holidays to shaping global conversations on critical care nursing, Coetzee’s journey is one of purpose, resilience and impact. Inspired by her mother who was a hospital matron, today, she is internationally recognised as a leading academic and researcher in nursing.

Honoured to have received the Unisa award, Coetzee remarks: "This award is recognition of exceptional scholarship and ambassadorial leadership." Lauding Unisa’s commitment to research excellence and lifelong academic partnerships, she believes that the award also highlights the university’s commitment to identifying and nurturing high-calibre scholars, and its contribution to global knowledge production. She was also a recipient of the 2025 Woman of Stature Award in the Health and Wellness category at the 10th Annual Woman of Stature Awards.

A journey worth embracing

Having obtained a PhD in Health Studies from Unisa in 2010, Coetzee’s doctoral studies focused on developing strategies to improve academic outcomes for students in nursing education institutions. She describes the university’s research environment as supportive, well-structured and professionally organised. She states: "Consistent face-to-face supervision, clear appointment schedules and readily available supervisors created a foundation that encouraged both productivity and confidence". Beyond academic support, Coetzee’s supervisors became lifelong mentors and research collaborators.

This experience has shaped Coetzee’s supervisory approach, which emphasises structure, consistency and accountability. To date, she has successfully supervised more than 15 PhD candidates and 60 master’s students, most of whom have made meaningful contributions to healthcare, leadership and research.

For Coetzee, Unisa’s open and distance learning environment equipped her with skills to deal with unexpected challenges, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Working on the frontline of critical care, I faced difficult decisions in environments where resources were scarce," she says. Coetzee adds: "Meanwhile, I also helped develop training programmes for nurses and formulated guidelines for patient admissions as part of multidisciplinary critical care teams."

Advancing impactful research and skills transfer

One of Coetzee’s current projects focuses on post-Covid-19 workforce sustainability in acute and critical care. Globally, most healthcare practitioners left the profession due to trauma and burnout. Her research focuses on strategies to retain skilled professionals and to rebuild a resilient global healthcare system. During her inaugural lecture at the University of Pretoria in late 2025, she highlighted the importance of critical care nursing and the global shortage in this field. Coetzee explains: "In South Africa, only 6 246 critical care-trained nurses are registered with the South African Nursing Council, placing the profession under significant strain."

For her, Unisa’s focus on rigorous, applied research continues to shape her scholarly direction. Coetzee is currently involved in three international research projects and represents South Africa on the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses. She also serves as the co-editor of a global critical care e-book published by the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses.

Prof Coetzee with a team that provided first-aid training to schoolchildren in Cameroon

Furthermore, Coetzee is an ambassador for the African Federation of Critical Care Nurses, where she contributes to quality assurance and training initiatives across the continent. As a visiting professor in Cameroon, she has helped establish interdisciplinary programmes and mentor healthcare professionals in rural communities. Through her collaboration with the Cameroonian Ministry of Health, Coetzee helps support sustainable healthcare education that empowers both professionals and local communities.

* By Cilla Boucher, Alumni Relations Officer, Department of Institutional Advancement