The President of Nigeria
The Nigeria National Assembly
The Nursing and Midwifery Council Of Nigeria
Please Reform the Nursing and Midwifery Training and Practice in Nigeria.
Nursing and Midwifery is the backbone of all the health care institutions in Nigeria which constitute about 60% of its workforce but, over the past decades it has received less attention from its relevant stakeholders and policy makers which result to a complete stagnation of the profession. This have seriously impacted on the healthcare of Nigerian masses as well as the Nigeria health care system. The changing trends in global health care practice makes it mandatory for urgent Reformation of the mode of training and practice of nursing and midwifery in Nigeria to meet the international base standard.
Nursing and Midwifery in Nigeria is facing multiple discrimination and injustice among the healthcare professionals Not everyone knows that;
1. Nigeria Nurses are the only health professionals that its graduates are denied of the mandatory one year internship training which is designed to give health care professionals the opportunity to implement the theoretical work and adequately prepare for real community task of health care service.
2. Nurses are the only health professionals that receive 3years intensive training in school of nursing yet are awarded with a mere basic nursing certificate which has not been officially quantified to represent any qualification in civil service and further academic career.
3. Nursing is the only profession in Nigeria universities that require additional 4 years to get a degree after 3 years general nursing training instead of 12 to 18 months roll up program as it is done in other countries. 4. Nursing is the only profession that its graduates are placed on GL 07 post NYSC instead of GL09 in federal civil service as done for other professions like pharmacy, laboratory science and MBBS (which gets GL 10).
4. Nursing is the only health profession that is still trained in schools of nursing that are not affiliated to any university or college thereby denying its students the opportunity to experience the advance learning skills and recognitions.
5. Nursing is the only profession that its undergraduates are denied the opportunities of enjoying national scholarships and oversea sponsors like chevron, NNPC, and PTDF scholarships.
6. Nursing is the only profession that its specialist post basic training are not given any recognition in civil service or academic.
7. Nursing in Nigeria is faced with multiple policies which limits their scope of practice, and this poses a serious thread to millions of Nigerians living in rural areas where Drs are rarely found.
8. Nursing is the only cadre in federal civil service that have a controversial scheme of service discriminating between nursing qualification obtained from school of nursing and that of university.
For Nigeria to competently compete internationally in terms of healthcare delivery, it must strengthen the workforce of the healthcare system in other to;
- 1. Reduce the rate of mortality and morbidity
2. Reduce the healthcare cost as many will access healthcare service through well trained nurses where Drs cannot be accessed as it is done in other developed countries.
3. Attract international patronage of Nigeria healthcare as well as limit oversea travels in search of healthcare.
4. To meet millennium development goals.
1. Approve and implement mandatory interns for nursing graduates to prepare them adequately for the real task of healthcare delivery to Nigerian people.
2. Upgrade or Affiliate all nursing training institutions to colleges or universities to improve the standard of nursing training in Nigeria.
3. Review the university nursing curriculum and Provide a roll up program of 12 to 18 months for registered nurses and midwives to obtain Bsc in nursing in other to advance their skills to meet up with the changing trends and challenges in patients care as it is done in other countries. This will also give nurses the courage to advance their basic healthcare skills as well as their academic career.
4. Provide a specialist post graduate program in other advance specialised skills in various fields of nursing as it is done in other countries like US, UK, Australia etc
5. Review basic nursing curriculum and quantify the certificate to be officially recognised as HND program or reduce the syllables to cover 2 years training as diploma as done in other fields.
6. Review the policies and laws limiting the scope of nursing practice in Nigeria in other to give the Nigerian population the basic healthcare needs with a less cost as done in other developed countries.
7. Give graduate nurses their deserved emolument to encourage them maintain their passion for the profession.
8. Approve and implement a unified scheme of service for nursing graduates and Registered Nurses without discrimination. With this,
We are appealing to the president of Nigeria and the President Elect General Muhammadu Buhari, The Nursing and midwifery council of Nigeria, the Head of civil service of the federation, the federal ministry of health, the National Assembly, the national university commission, All schools of nursing in Nigeria and relevant stakeholder to jointly look into this and do the right thing for the nursing profession to grow to its destiny to give the consumers of healthcare the best they deserve.