The President of the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Michael Nnachi, tells LARA ADEJORO why the affiliation doesn’t recognise auxiliary nurses, in view of the arrest of a suspect who was stated to have administered an injection on a musical artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly referred to as Mohbad, earlier than he died.
Some Nigerians discover it arduous to differentiate between a registered nurse and an auxiliary nurse when looking for medical care. How are these related or unconnected to the nursing career?
A registered nurse refers to an individual who has undergone skilled coaching to turn out to be a nurse. Even earlier than getting into into an establishment, the particular person have to be certified, and the qualification has to do with having an O’stage certificates that should embody English Language, Arithmetic, Physics, and Biology in no more than two sittings. We’ve the fundamental nursing coaching which is run in a faculty of nursing, and thru the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, you possibly can research it within the college. Whichever method, it’s essential to have the O’stage qualification. That one is obligatory as a result of, with out it, you’re going nowhere, and in case you take the JAMB examination, it’s essential to cross it if you wish to be provided admission. It’s essential get it proper that in case you are speaking about auxiliary nurses, all these items I’m telling you don’t apply in any respect. So, it’s not even vital to check the 2.
An auxiliary (nurse) has nothing to do with skilled nurses; they’re incomparable. They’re two issues that don’t match in any respect. It’s an misguided assumption that everyone in a white uniform is a nurse; it may be assumed by any particular person. It’s like going to the hospital and saying that everyone in a white (uniform) is a nurse when you could not know that a few of them are dieticians. You shouldn’t conclude that anyone who wears a white (uniform) is a nurse; that could be a misnomer. The essential reality is {that a} skilled nurse and an auxiliary can’t be in contrast.
Who certifies an individual as knowledgeable nurse?
As soon as a nurse has handed via the tutelage of training in a nursing establishment and has skilled {qualifications}, a regulatory physique such because the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria must certify such a person via skilled examination the place competency shall be proved, and the particular person needs to be certified earlier than they’re registered and licensed. After which earlier than they get to that stage, they will need to have spent three years doing primary nursing. In a college, it takes 5 years earlier than an individual can get a certificates as a level holder in Nursing Science, and whenever you see such an individual within the hospital, you’ll know that they’re skilled nurses due to the areas of operation, disposition, and care. You can’t examine an auxiliary and knowledgeable nurse.
Why then are auxiliary nurses prevalent within the nation?
Anyone in search of low-cost service will all the time go for unskilled service. In case you are in search of one thing low-cost, you’ll go to the place you may get it low-cost in order that that particular person (providing low-cost service) is not going to inform you what to pay or offer you any situation; the particular person shall be able to take something you give. When you want such a service, you’ll go and choose it up and make use of it. You recognize Nigeria’s state of affairs, particularly within the well being sector. Chances are you’ll discover that after we discuss in regards to the workforce, particularly on the main healthcare stage, what’s fascinating is just not there. So, because of that, there’s a tendency to get what is reasonable to get what is correct finished, and you’ll by no means get it proper till it’s proper.
Why is it tough to weed auxiliary nurses out if they don’t seem to be vital to the well being sector?
They’re human beings in search of what to eat. In the event that they can provide you what you need, you go for them. Some folks set up clinics or hospitals and make use of them with out in search of professionals who have been educated at school.
The Lagos state chapter of the NANNM issued a press release dissociating itself from the nurse who allegedly administered injection on a well-liked singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly referred to as Mohbad, earlier than he died. What’s your view on that?
The reality is something that occurs in a clinic or hospital, folks ascribe it to a nurse or a health care provider. It’s whenever you get there that you can find out whether or not it’s true or not. It is very important know that nursing is a medical career. You can’t examine an auxiliary with knowledgeable nurse as a result of the scope of follow is totally different and it’s important to endure transformative coaching to qualify as a registered nurse. Even when an individual graduates from a college, they don’t qualify professionally. They’ll nonetheless not be allowed to follow as a result of they are going to be seen as quacks.
As soon as a problem comes up, and that the particular person concerned is just not a member (of the NANNM), the very first thing is to write down a disclaimer, do a press assertion and exonerate your self. In fact, when such a factor occurs, you carry an investigation to really set up the reality of what occurs in order that if there may be any option to forestall a recurrence and if there may be any method your member was concerned, it’s important to be sure that such an individual is punished to keep away from a repeat of such. Human life is valuable, no person can joke about it as a result of whenever you lose it, you could have misplaced it. Cash can not compensate for a life misplaced, and the financial penalties are monumental. So we don’t encourage quackery and we make it possible for quackery is just not allowed to rear its ugly head.
Some folks imagine auxiliary nurses are educated to help registered nurses…
It’s not true. They don’t seem to be educated to assist any nurse. Non-public clinics can practice them and use them as a result of it’s low-cost labour.
What’s your affiliation doing to test using auxiliaries in non-public hospitals and the influence it has on the career?
As soon as the joint committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives discovers that, they may make a proper report and have interaction the ability. The committee is in all of the states in Nigeria, and we don’t take it as a right. I additionally need you to know that each career has a component of quack – Drugs, Legislation, even Journalism, as a result of some folks will declare to be what they don’t seem to be. Individuals can purchase a lawyer’s robe and wig and declare they’re attorneys and they’ll do what the professionals do and succeed, however sooner or later, they are going to be caught. Some folks even pose as navy officers in navy uniforms, however like they are saying, each day is for the thief however sooner or later is for the proprietor.
We’re doing so much. Mainly, in each state, we’ve a joint committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives. What they do is to function vanguard to the problem of quackery and if anyone is reported, disciplinary motion is taken in opposition to such an individual as soon as it’s established that the particular person is a quack. We don’t encourage quackery as a result of folks’s well being is in danger. Any person known as not too long ago about some nurses alleged to have false certificates in the UK, however I needed to let the particular person know that in all honesty, we should not have any official report concerning that.
Lately, a sufferer of ‘one-chance’ robbers who was recognized as Greatness Olorunfemi was reported to have been rejected by a hospital in Abuja earlier than she died. Is your affiliation additionally helping in investigating the dying of the woman?
What we’re doing is, to begin with, to get the required info surrounding such an incident. We’ve our members in all states, and in any specific state the place we’ve any incident immediately or not directly, what we do is use a committee to determine what’s enjoying out as a result of typically, you could get info from any quarter, so you might want to verify that the knowledge given to you is true or not. We all the time require additional investigation to determine the reality. So what we do is that at any time we obtain a report of an incident, the very first thing is to analyze the veracity of that state of affairs, and no matter sanction or punishment that’s due will take its form. If it requires going to courtroom, then it’s taken to courtroom. We aren’t enjoyable over such points due to the sanctity of life and naturally, to safeguard our identify as a result of when something occurs, you see folks calling docs and nurses with out figuring out whether or not the well being employee concerned is a health care provider or a nurse till the reality has been established.
So, those that get such info ought to strive as a lot as potential to get the information as a result of any info that’s misrepresented causes extra harm to the system and society. It’s a must to be satisfied that the knowledge you need to give is verified. While you throw out info, it’ll go a great distance and many individuals will choose it up. So, allow us to make certain of the information earlier than giving out any info. The media can be the vanguard of the nation, it’s what you inform us that drives the route of our motion and pondering. So, I urge everybody to make certain of the information to keep away from inflicting extra harm to the system.
How is the NANNM dealing with the depletion of Nigerian nurses who depart in quest of greener pastures?
The japa syndrome is a factor of concern, and principally, it’s due to mind drain, wanting on the pull and push elements. The well being sector is at a really difficult stage. The situation of service is poor, the surroundings is poor, and so are the instruments to work. At this time, we’re celebrating Nigeria at 63, however the query is: What’s the state of affairs within the well being sector and different sectoral ministries like training, the judiciary, and agriculture? How far have we gone at 63? When the japa problem is available in, we’re taking a look at welfare and socioeconomic circumstances.
In commemoration of the nurses week in Might, you stated 75,000 nurses left the nation inside 5 years. What’s the state of affairs like now?
The reality is that just about each week, there are functions despatched to theNMCN (by nurses) both to depart the nation or be relieved of their duties. That’s the place to get dependable information. So, in essence, each week nurses submit functions requesting certification to journey or retire.
A few of your members complain about poor working circumstances and blame it for the emigration of nurses. How is the affiliation dealing with that?
Ours is to articulate a request and ahead it to the federal government, and naturally, the Federal Ministry of Well being is our father or mother physique. So, any info of such relevance that serves as a problem from any facility to us shall be despatched to the ministry.
Have you ever been getting optimistic responses from the ministry?
Generally, there may be what I’ll describe as a delayed response as a result of one’s letter could also be acknowledged, with a promise that one thing shall be finished, but when it’s not finished inside weeks, it’s pretty much as good as nothing.