Rutendo Tembo, one of our MSc Professional Practice (Cardiac Care) students in Zambia and Alice Temporin, a lecturer in Children and Young People's Health (Children’s Nursing) at Birmingham City University share their experiences of being involved in our Burdett Trust Project to capacity strengthen cardiovascular nursing in Zambia. They are involved in this project to develop a context-specific cardiac nursing resource with support from BCU Faculty and NHS Volunteers. Rutendo explains the project and the current state of Cardiac Nursing in Zambia "Zambia faces significant challenges in providing cardiac care to its 20 million people, with only one cardiac hospital serving paediatric and adult patients. The National Heart Hospital (NHH) is located in the country’s capital, Lusaka, and patients are referred from across Zambia by provincial and district health facilities. NHH occasionally conducts outreach services to identify new patients and follow up on patients’ post-surgery. To increase capacity, the NHH hosts cardiac surgical camps provided by different organisations from other countries. However, there is a critical shortage of cardiovascular nurses. There are currently no specialist education programmes, and as a result, cardiac surgery patients are nursed in the intensive care unit at NHH after surgery. This is a 25-bed unit, which urgently needs more specialist nursing staff. The current nursing staff includes specialised nurses (Critical Care Nurses and Paediatric nurses) and Registered Nurses. As the nurses working in NHH have had limited formal cardiac education opportunities, they have undergone short orientations in-country and from neighbouring countries where cardiovascular nursing has been established. The first Cohort of Cardiac Nurses education was launched in 2025, delivered in Zambia by Birmingham City University with support from the Ministry of Health. As part of the Burdett Trust project, BCU is developing a practical nursing resource for cardiovascular nurses in practice. BCUs is coordinating expertise from expert Adult Cardiac, Paediatric Cardiac and Neonatal Nurses from within the university and the NHS. The support is overwhelming, as they have a wide range of expertise. BCU's collaboration is crucial in enhancing cardiac care in Zambia and building a sustainable future for nursing education here. This initiative has the potential to enhance patient outcomes, build nursing capacity, and strengthen the country's healthcare system. Working with the team of experts has provided me with an opportunity to expand my network and enhance my knowledge in cardiac care. This has improved my confidence and will improve and expand my skills and knowledge." Alice Temporin explains her role on the project "I was introduced to this project by Professor Joy Notter and Associate Professor Chris Carter from Birmingham City University. As a former Paediatric Intensive Care Nurse and now a Lecturer in Children and Young People's Health (Children’s Nursing), I am genuinely excited by the opportunity to collaborate internationally. Having trained in Italy and developed my career in the UK, I deeply value cross-cultural exchange, and this project provides a meaningful platform for sharing expertise, particularly in the care of children with congenital and acquired heart diseases. Caring for children with congenital cardiac defects (CHDs) presents significant challenges. Nurses must not only possess advanced clinical skills and critical care knowledge, but also a deep understanding of the complexities of a developing cardiovascular system. Creating educational resources to support nurses working in these high-pressure environments is essential. Such tools will not only enhance professional learning, but also contribute to improved outcomes and experiences for the children and families in their care." About the Burdett Trust Project for Cardiac Nursing BCU and the project team thank the Burdett Trust for Nursing for their support. The overall aim of the project is to develop sustainable, context-specific Zambian cardiac care nurse education and training programmes. This has included revising and finalising an MSc in Cardiovascular Nursing with the University of Zambia and developing a BSc in Cardiovascular Nursing with the Ministry of Health. One of our workstreams is to develop a practical Cardiac Nursing Resource. Teams are working on neonatal, paediatric, and adult cardiovascular nursing care. This resource is progressing well, and we look forward to launching it in autumn 2025.