Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmed
Professor
College of Health Sciences
Department of Physiotherapy
Professor Dr. Hamdia Mirkhan Ahmed is a distinguished academic and healthcare leader whose pioneering work has transformed nursing and midwifery education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She earned her BSc in General Nursing from the Arak Branch of Islamic Azad University in Iran, followed by MSc and PhD degrees in Maternity Nursing from Hawler Medical University.
Currently serving as Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Hawler Medical University, she has held several key leadership roles, including Head of the Midwifery Department, Director of the Center for Research and Education in Women’s Health (CREWH), and Director of the Gender Studies Center. She was instrumental in founding the College of Nursing in Erbil (2001), the Kurdistan Scientific Nurses Association (2003), the Nursing and Midwifery Development Organization (2010), the Midwifery Department (2012), and CREWH (2016).
Her academic contributions are extensive, with more than 100 published research papers in nursing, midwifery, women’s health, health services research, conflict and health, and medical education, many appearing in highly regarded international journals. She has successfully led numerous projects to improve nursing and midwifery care and strengthen professional standards in collaboration with the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health.
Internationally, Dr. Hamdia serves as a coach with the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, specializing in reproductive and sexual health, and has trained professionals through NGO-supported programs in Erbil. She has represented Iraq in over 30 international conferences and training programs across the USA, UK, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as more than 50 national events. She has also organized major scientific conferences on women’s health and health sciences, including virtual editions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A passionate advocate for professional development and women’s empowerment, she believes that personal growth is the cornerstone of community advancement. In 2024, she earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oxford. Most recently, she was appointed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) as a member of the Nursing Leadership Council for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) for 2025–2027, further cementing her role as a visionary leader in global health.
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&pli=1&user=sqT1-SAAAAAJ
Lana Hemad Maternity nursing Master Nurse/midwives practice regarding care during labor and delivery 2012 - 2013
Nazira Salam Maternity nursing Master Self-Care Practices among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetic in Erbil City 2013-2014
Suad Abdollah Maternity Nursing Master Effect of change position and back massage on pain perception during labor in Maternity Teaching Hospital 2014-2015
Roshna Gazi Abdulwahid Maternity Nursing Master Anemia among pregnant women in PHCCs/Erbil City: Prevalence, severity and associated risk factors 2015-2016
Sahar Esmail Abdollah Maternity Nursing Master Maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy among adolescents in Erbil City 2015-2016
Safia Sabry Piro Maternity Nursing PhD The Effectiveness of Antenatal Nursing Intervention on Initiation and Continuity of Breastfeeding among a Group of Women 2016- 2020
Srwa Abdulrahman Mustafa Maternity Nursing MSc Health care providers awareness and practice toward adolescent pregnancy care 2018-2019
Khalat Karwan Fars Maternity Nursing PhD Implementing of WHO Recommendations Regarding Respectful Maternity Care and Effective Communication in Delivery Room and its Impact on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes 2019 until now
Renas Mohammed Kdidir Maternity Nursing PhD Effective of postnatal nursing interventions on maternal and neonatal outcomes in Rania City: home versus health facility care 2020 until now
Begard Othman Muhammad Maternity Nursing PhD Impact of therapeutic exercise and education on pregnancy-related low back and pelvic girdle pain (lumbopelvic pain): case-control study) 2020 Until now
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&pli=1&user=sqT1-SAAAAAJ
Fundamental of nursing - 1st stage nursing
- Maternity Nursing - 3rd stage nursing
- Nursing ethics - 3rd satge nursing
- Biostatistics - 4rd stage nursing
- Sociology - 3rd stage nursing
- Antenatal care - 1st stage midwifery
- Normal labor - 2nd stage midwfery
- postpartum care - 3rd stage midwifery
- Research - 3rd stage midwifery
- Advanced maternity nursing - MSc students
- Evidence-based practice - MSc students
- Nursing trends and issues - MSc students
- Nursing philosophy - PhD students
- Nursing Leadership and Managment - MSc students
- Leadership and Communication - Boerd Students of KBMS
1. International activities
Directing visiting group to Tehran University of Medical Science and Tarbiat Modares University /Iran- 19-22/9/2015 Tehran, Iran
Participation in Global Nursing Policy Leadership institute 2017- A 6 mouths program with International Council of Nurses (ICN) June – November 2017 ICN,
Geneva, Swiss Coach in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health – online 12/10-9/11/2020 Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research – Swiss
TUMS International Online Short Course on “Fundamental of Nursing Informatics” virtual attendance. Feb 20-April 20, 2021 for 16 hours Tehran University of Medical Sciences Bioethics training course
ICN delegation for 74th World Health Assembly 24-31/5/2021 Online participation 1. Other activities - Main member of presentation of seminar " Evaluation and Development of Profession of Nursing in Kurdistan /Iraq" 7-10/8/1999- Directorate of Health- Hawler - Presentation a lecture regarding Hypertension for nurses in Rezgary Hospital 10/2/1999 -Member of committee of establishing of nursing college in Erbil- 30 / 10/2000 - Trainer of " Fundamental Nursing Skills" for nurses in Rezgary Hospital-23-25/10/2000 - Data collector for Researches program of Kurdistan /Iraq – 2000 Statistics Directorate - Data collector in "Field survey for detection of mortality among mothers and the under five years children". 2000 for Statistics Directorate -Trainer of Nursing Practice Skill – WHO-2001-Rezgary hospital - Facilitator in Workshop on 'patient Rights & Dignity for Nurses' –Erbil 3-4/9/2006 In Raparin Hospital - Presentation a seminar with name "Introduction to Nursing Theories" for teachers in nursing college- 12/10/2006 - Facilitator in Workshop on " What is the nursing and nursing roles'- 2006-2007 in Erbil Hospitals - Member of 1st Barzan Conference – A century pioneering humanity & environment protection in Barzan region/ 14-15 March 2010 - Co-tutored on the Scottish Neonatal Resuscitation course/ 7th October, 2011/Erbil - facilitator in nursing process workshop/college of Nursing/ 17/11/2011-Erbil - Coordinator and facilitator of "Introduction to Nursing Leadership and Management"- Erbil- 26-30/8/2012- Best Inn Erbil Hotel - Executive Director of "Upgrading and strengthening of PhD program of Nursing and Overview on Qualitative Research and Statistical tests workshop - 18-21/1/2016 - Directing visiting group to Tehran and Tarbiat Modares University /Iran- 19-22/9/2015 - Executive Director of “ Workshop on preparing health system for Entering BSc Midwives” – 13-15/12/2016 – Erbil – - Organizer and facilitator of “Preparing course book for Gender Studies in Kurdistan Universities”- 5/9/2019- Hawler medical University, Erbil, Iraq - Planner and organizer of 2nd Scientific Conference on Women’s Health-online- 2-3/9/2020 Participation in Workshops/Meetings/Seminars - Job Descriptions for Nurses/midwives - 24-25/7/2000- Ministry of Health - Ministry of health & Social Affairs First Conference- 11-13/11/2000-Hawler - Meeting on job description for nursing staff – 6/ 2/ 2001- WHO- Ministry of Health - Member of college committee 5/2/2002-2004 – Nursing college - Health system Reform Conference 26-28/4/2005- Ministry of Health - Workshop on writing proposal- ICSP- 25-26/6/2005 -Hawler - Professional Development workshop 30/9 - 1/10/2006 at HMU - Patient Safety Solutions workshop – 12/10/2008/ - Turkey - The World Diabetes Symposium- 14/11/2008- Erbil – Kurdistan - Workshop on patient safety/hospital acquired infection October/8/2009 - Symposium on Maternal and child health in Kurdistan-Iraq/ Millennium development goals 4&5- 12 November, 2009/Erbil-Kurdistan - 3rd pre-exam course for part 1&2 MRCOG examinations /Erbil/Chwarchra Hotel/27-28 February/2010 - Consultative Meeting On UNFPA-Iraq Country Programme of Cooperation/23/5/2010- Erbil – Mamosta Saad Hall - Regional symposium for development health policy in Kurdistan region/Erbil/Chwarchra Hotel/24/6/2010 - Opening health promotion organization in Kurdistan/ 6/11/2010/ Hawler/ Chwar Chra Hotel. - Consultative Meeting on UNFPA –Iraq Action Plan 2011-2014- on 19/2/2011/ IT Center/ Erbil City - Improving people's quality of life globally seminar /10/3/2011-Shiraton Hotel - Workshop on Developing Student centered learning/ 27th -30th March & Sept 20th – 22th 2011/by University of Glasgow/ Erbil - Workshop on Reviewing and Updating National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Iraq/25th – 27th Sept. 2011/Erbil/Iraq/Rotana Hotel - Neonatal Resuscitation Training/Erbil, 5th October, 2011/University of Dundee in collaboration with the Hawler Medical University & The Scottish Multi professional Maternity Development Program - Developing student centered learning/27-30/3/2011 and 20-22/9/2011- Hawler Medical University with University of Glasgow- Erbil/Kurdistan - Workshop on BSc micro-curriculum of maternal-newborn health -6/3/2012- Sulmaniye - Workshop on Action research- 31/1/2012- by University of Brighton UK/ Erbil/ Kurdistan - Seminar on Bloom's Taxonomy of learning domains- 8/12/2011- College of Nursing- Erbil - Seminar on postpartum hemorrhage and emergency obstetric care- 2/1/2012- College of Nursing / Erbil - Seminar on Critical thinking – 12/10/2011- College of Nursing / Erbil - Seminar on principles and Application of modern hospital administration – 27/10/2011- College of Nursing / Erbil - Seminar on the principle of nutritional education- 2/11/2011- College of Nursing / Erbil - Seminar on Portfolio- 2/11/2011- College of Nursing / Erbil - Workshops on developing midwifery profession in Iraq (UNFPA & Ministry of Health) 6-8/6/2011 and 19-21/1/2011 and 22-24/4/2012- Erbil - Consultative workshop for development of national health policy- Sulemaniyah, Iraq- 28th-30th August 2013 - Capacity building workshop on implementation research/health policy and systems research- by AUB- Erbil- 12-13/4/2015 - Global Nursing Policy Leadership Institute 2017- residential workshop – 9-15/9/2017 , Geneva, Swiss - Patient Safety Workshop – 24/11/2017 – 9 -12 am- Erbil- divan hotel - Critical Appraisal of Medical Articles Workshop – 24/11/2017- 2-4 pm – Erbil divan hotel - Advances in Medical Education Workshop – 14/12/2018 – Erbil, Rotana Hotel - E-Learning Professional Training Program Schedule (Training of Trainers), 30 April-20 June, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Department of Research and Development and IREX