Nurses can decline services when their lives are in jeopardy – NANNM

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Nurses have been urged to take responsibility in protecting their lives in the wake of the continuous community transmission of the novel Coronavirus, as they have the right to turndown life threatening conditions, with inadequate provision of personnel protective equipment.

They were told to render their services heartily, but to be weary in going all out in giving care to patients if they lack the necessary protective equipment to protect themselves from the infection.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Pharmanewsonline, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, COVID-19 Action Committee, Lagos State, Mary Lateef-Yusuf, said it is imperative for her colleagues to be very meticulous while rendering care to avoid being infected, as there is no emergency in pandemic.

She stated : “I want to remind my colleagues in all tiers of health services to comply with infection prevention and control protocols. They have the right to decline their services if their lives are in jeopardy through inadequate provision of personal protective equipment .

“There's no emergency in pandemic and thus they should be careful always while rendering care to avoid being infected. Their services are only needed when they are alive and healthy”, she stressed.

Although she acknowledged efforts from the government in making PPEs available to nurses, but she noted that there is need for improvement. “The State Government is trying but they should do more in provision of PPEs and welfare of our members”.

She also called on members of the public to obey national health directives such as: appropriate hand washing practices, use of masks, use of alcohol based sanitizers, keeping social distancing, personal and environmental hygiene, and calling the given number 08000CORONA when Ill.

On the International Nurses Week, celebrated between 6-12 May, she said the Lagos State NANNM and FOLGONM joined the world to celebrate this year's event, themed: “Nurses Nursing the World to Health”.

Describing the theme as prophetic, for x-raying nurses role in the pandemic, the NANNM COVID-19 Chairman disclosed that Lagos NANNM was expected to host an international event in Nigeria, but the outbreak of the infection changed the narrative.