… As Healthy Living Communication holds 6th nurse leaders forum
For nursing to remain relevant in the comity of health care professionals in Nigeria, the cooperation of all stakeholders in the implementation of nursing educational reforms is key, Mrs . Bolaji Shode, head, Lagos office, Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has said.
Shode, who was speaking in the capacity of the Registrar, NMCN, at the Health care Industry Interactive Forum for nurse leaders, organised by Healthy Living Communications, held at the NIMR Auditorium, Yaba, gave details on nursing education reforms in Nigeria and why it should be embraced by all and sundry.
Explaining the reason for a restructuring in nursing education, she said the change is imperative for the profession to achieve the best future possible, for the educational system to reflect the changing needs, demands and trends in the society, and the more pragmatic the reforms embarked upon, the better the professional growth and development that follows.
The Lagos NMCN Head further revealed the council’s opinion on the ongoing nursing educational reforms, which they wish to be in line with the National Policy on Education. When this is achieved, she said the advantages will be more than the pains for nurses across the nation.
Some of the benefits of the modification she listed are as follows: authorization of institutions by relevant organ of the Federal Government to award academic certificates to the graduates; academic progression of the students along existing educational system will be smooth and straight forward; the difficulty of placement of nurses in the labour market will be eliminated.
Aside the advantages for nurses, she said there are cogent justifications for the reforms, which makes the implementation much more imperative. “Changes in patient and disease profiles; advances in medical and information technology; the shift to evidence-based practice, the need for life-long professional development; the challenges of working in health care teams, etc. “, are the justifications she listed.
In her own contribution, the Director of Nursing, Ministry of Health, Alausa-Lagos, Mrs Dorcas Shonibare, charged the nurses on the need to imbibe the soft skill of critical thinking, which aides problem solving.
“In this age and time, nurses should be problem solvers, and that is why the skills of critical thinking, innovation, effective communication, leadership, are indispensable for all of us” she stressed. In order to possess these skills, she said nurses have to be apt to learn and open minded, to achieve excellence in their service delivery.
The Malaria Project Officer, Exxon Mobile Nigeria, Mr Akin Fatunke, who was one of the guests at the forum, tasked the nurses on the need to be abreast of trends in the profession. “Starting with the discipline, you are to ensure that you are up to date with the latest technology and research as it affects you. When I mentioned the fact that nurses need to be professional, I mean as a professional, how do you treat yourself, how do you brand yourself because it is after you are the best friend to yourself that you can give your best to others.
“So the ABC of the profession of nursing is the fact that you care, care, and care for others and of course yourself. I tell you, it will come to a point that after you have taken care of so many other people and people are relegating you to the background, either within the medical profession or not, you begin to see people fighting for you because you have done your job so well”.
On the issue of malaria control in the country, Fatunke said they will not relent in the provision of Insect ides Treated Nets to the people, and will also continue to train nurses, doctors, and pregnant mothers on the ABCD of malaria treatment.
Regarding the frequent complaints on the use of treated nets, he said, the Exxon Mobile health care team have gone back to the drawing board and funded the manufacturers of these nets in Sub Saharan Africa, to ensure that the long lasting insecticide treated nets that are been produced now don’t conduct that kind of heat, and I also discovered that it is an attitude thing.
While appreciating the participants and sponsors of this year’s interactive forum, the convener of the program, MD/CEO, Healthy Living Communications, Mr Emmanuel Oriakhi, disclosed that the wellbeing of patients is ultimate goal of the workshop.
He explained that if nurses have the required knowledge and skills to offer the needed care to patients, and if there is mutual inter-professional relations among health care givers, then the rate of mortality will be drastically reduced.
