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Tag: nursing

  • Free nursing conference elevates leadership, patient care skills

    Free nursing conference elevates leadership, patient care skills

    The Nursing Leadership Conference, themed “Developing the Next Generation of Quality Leaders,” held on 10th November 2025 and hosted by Dr. Malvis Humphrey of the London Professional Training Centre, offered a transformative experience for over 500 nurses nationwide, attending both physically and virtually at no cost. The event was designed to inspire nurses while equipping them with practical leadership skills to enhance patient care and foster professional growth.

    Attendees benefited from the expertise of a distinguished line-up of speakers, including the Director of Nursing Services of Lagos State, the Head of Nursing at the University of Lagos Medical Centre, and other prominent nursing leaders. Presentations provided insights into effective leadership practices, quality care delivery, and the evolving responsibilities of nurses in modern healthcare systems, emphasising how strong leadership can improve patient outcomes and institutional efficiency.

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    A blend of training sessions and interactive panel discussions allowed participants to engage directly with speakers, ask questions, and tackle real-world challenges. Nurses reported that these sessions helped them reflect on their leadership styles, identify areas for growth, and learn strategies for team and resource management. Peer-to-peer interactions fostered knowledge exchange and expanded professional networks beyond the conference. All participants received Certificates of Participation, with three additional days of follow-up training providing actionable tools for leadership, decision-making, and team management. Many nurses highlighted networking and mentorship opportunities as key benefits, noting that learning directly from seasoned leaders would enhance their immediate practice.

  • Bill to establish Nursing, Midwifery, College in Bayelsa scales second reading

    Bill to establish Nursing, Midwifery, College in Bayelsa scales second reading

    A Bill to establish the Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery, Amassoma, Bayelsa has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

    Sponsored by Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei, the Bill was read for the First Time on the Floor of this House on the 27th of February, 2024.

    Leading the debate on the general principles of the Bill, the lawmaker who represents Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency said the depleting workforce in the health sector in the country requires the strengthening of the sector with the training of Nurses and Midwives.

    He stressed that health is wealth.

    It has as its long title, “A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery, Amassoma, Bayelsa State And for other matter related thereto 2024.”

    Ambaiowei said the bill could not have come at a better time than now to remedy this unfavourable situation in order to rescue the youth who are being lured into various forms of nefarious activities owing to their inability to gain admission into higher institutions.

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    “The proposal for this bill is anchored on the fact that there is no Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery in Bayelsa State at the moment. The need to have this specialized College of Nursing and Midwifery will train and produce high quality healthcare professionals that will contribute to the development of the health sector in Nigeria in the area of research and medical treatment in the State and the entire country.

    “The Bill is divided into Eight (8) Parts, Parts I-V provides for the establishment of the College, Objects of the College and function, Governing Council of the College, and Officers of the College.

    “Parts V-VI provides for the authourity of the College, its powers, duties, academics, board and Committees. Part VII-VIII provides for the funding of the College, Budget, Audit and Accounts.

    “Mr Speaker, Honourable Colleagues this Bill is timely, given that hospitals and Health facilities in our country are suffering deficit in nursing personnel, the establishment of this institution will not only afford employment opportunities to the lecturers who will teach in that College but it will also offer the requisite training Facility/Environment needed to boost, stimulate, nurture and equip Nigerians in modern nursing skills and education.

    “I therefore implore you dear Honourable members to support the Second Reading of the Bill which seeks to establish the Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery, Amassoma, Bayelsa State,” he said.

  • Outrage as nursing council introduces stringent conditions for verification process

    Outrage as nursing council introduces stringent conditions for verification process

    Mixed reactions have trailed the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) revised guidelines and requirements for applicants seeking for verification of certificate to foreign nursing boards/councils.

    The council has outlined that applicants must have a minimum of two years post-qualification work experience from the date of issuance of permanent practicing licence.

    The NMCN is the only legal, administrative, corporate and statutory body charged with performing specific functions on behalf of the Federal Government to ensure the delivery of safe and effective Nursing and Midwifery care to the public through quality education and best practices.

    The council is mandated by law to regulate the standards of Nursing and Midwifery education and practice in Nigeria and to review such standards from time to time to meet the changing health needs of the society.

    In a circular titled, “Revised guidelines for the verification of certificate(s) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for practice abroad” seen by The Nation, it noted that nurses who apply with provisional licenses will outrightly be rejected. 

    It also disclosed that all applicants who seek to relocate must have an active practicing license with a minimum of six months to the expiration date.

    The revised guidelines, effective from March 1, 2024, aim to streamline the process and enhance the standards of nursing education and practice in alignment with global best practices.

    Reacting, many applicants took to social media to express their dissatisfaction over the revised guidelines.

    Dr. Olawale Ogunlana said: “Address the problems facing the Nursing Profession in Nigeria. That rubbish the Nursing Council want to try will not work. We reject it completely!”

    Dr. Babatunde argued that: “This Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria’s guideline is the way Nigeria solves its problems. They look for a quick fix that doesn’t make sense! Pay nurses well and give them a better welfare/career progression those who will stay will stay”

    Another user, @the_beardedsina tweeted: “It is sad what the Nursing & Midwifery council is doing to Nurses. Nigeria is at a state where there is a current breakdown of nursing practice” 

    @proudnursemj said: “License verification has absolutely nothing to do with your years of experience. 2years work experience before issuing a verification certificate is unclear… so it’s very obvious there’s more to this… therefore we are definitely not settling for this BS! 

    Another user on Twitter, Kunle said: “You will be shocked that this regulation will not be applicable to the Children of Politicians who studied Nursing and planning to travel abroad to practice. All it will take is for their parents to make one or two phone calls, and they will be excepted from this wicked rules.This is indirect slavery and it’s surprising we are all witnessing it in 2024!”

    Key guidelines and requirements are as follows: 

    1. Eligible applicants must possess a minimum of two (2) years of post-qualification experience counted from the date of issuance of their permanent practising license. 

    2. Applications with provisional licenses will be categorically rejected. The Council will require a Letter of Good Standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s workplace and the last nursing training institution attended.

    3. Responses to these requests should be directed to the Registrar/CEO of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

    Applicants must hold an active practicing license with at least six months remaining before expiration.

    4. Applicants are required to visit the official portal at https://licence.nmen.gov.ng/ to log in and start the verification application process by clicking on the dedicated link.

    5. A non-refundable fee per application must be paid through the portal for verification to Foreign Boards of Nursing. This fee covers the cost of courier services to the applicant’s training institution(s), place of work, and the respective Foreign Board.

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    6. During the application process, applicants are instructed to upload Certificates of Registration only; Notification of Registration will not be accepted. 

    7. Applicants will receive timely notifications via email and dashboard regarding the status of their verification application.

    8. The verification application process is expected to take a minimum of six (6) months as against the 2 weeks it initially took.

  • Winners emerge in nursing competition

    Winners emerge in nursing competition

    Winners have emerged from this year’s National Drug Dosage Calculation Competition for Nurses (NDDCCN).

     The competition, according to organisers, is geared towards improving best practice in medication safety among nurses, especially honing skills in drug dosage calculation problems.

     The founder, David Ogunlabi in his remarks, announced the “NDDCCN 2024 Bootcamp”, noting that the event will host fifty (50) nursing students for three days where they will be trained by trained personnel in leadership, innovation and research.

    For this year’s edition, seven out of over 100 nursing students in Nigeria made it to the final stage of the National competition, which was held on virtually.

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     The contestants include: Joshua Agboola, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Rebecca Akinyinka, University of Ibadan; Jemilat Yakubu, University of Ibadan; David Adebisi, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Fahd Yakubu, University of Ibadan; Favour Ojo, University of Ibadan; Ifeoluwa Fasina, University of Ibadan.

     The seven contestants were drilled on questions relating to drug dosage calculations and cardiovascular pharmacology.

     After the competitive challenge, Favour Ojo from the University of Ibadan emerged as winner and got cash prize of five hundred thousand naira (#500,000).

  • Nursing council moves to strengthen rural healthcare delivery

    Nursing council moves to strengthen rural healthcare delivery

    The registrar of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Faruk Abubakar, has said that the body has strengthened primary healthcare delivery through improved training of Licensed Community Nurses and Midwives (LCNs and LCMS) as well as Registered Public Health Nurses (RPHNS).

    Abubakar said the body had embarked on reforms in nursing education to achieve improvement in the quality of healthcare services.

    The NMCN registrar spoke while delivering the 13th convocation lecture of the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo state.

    He said the council carried out critical reforms so that more skilled healthcare personnel would be available in rural areas across the country.

    Speaking on the topic, “Education as a tool for social change and justice in Nigeria,” Abubakar said all sectors of the economy need to initiate reforms in education in various endeavours to achieve social change and justice in the country.

    Abubakar stated that educational policies and initiatives must promote equity, inclusivity, and social justice and address Nigeria’s diverse society’s unique challenges and opportunities.

    He said: “Education and social change are interconnected, a powerful tool for social change and justice in Nigeria; and all stakeholders should collaborate to ensure quality education for all the country’s citizens.

    “There is a connection between education and social change. Education comes first before social change, and effective social change can only occur with sound education.

    “To effectively address the issues of social change and justice in Nigeria, the government, civil society organizations, international development partners, and the active participation of Nigeria citizens must work together in a comprehensive and ongoing effort.

    Read Also: Nursing council suspends exams

    “To build a more fair and equitable society that benefits all Nigerians, the government and policy makers must do the following; empower individuals, foster understanding and tolerance, encourage gender parity, deal with injustice and corruption, encourage civic engagement and active participation, economic development, and enhance well-being and health.

    “However, education policies and initiatives must be designed and implemented to promote equity, inclusivity, and social justice and address the unique challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s diverse society.

    “However, it’s important to acknowledge that education alone might not solve all societal issues. It needs to be complemented by efforts to address systematic barriers, promote inclusivity, and ensure that the education provided is relevant, equitable, and empowering for all individuals.

    “Effective social change and justice often require a multifaceted approach involving education, policy reforms, community engagement, and collective action to create a more equitable and just society.”

  • Nursing council suspends exams

    Nursing council suspends exams

    Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has suspended indefinitely, the controversial Preliminary Test Session (PTS) examination taken by nursing students in Abia State.

    The suspension was disclosed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, while briefing reporters on the protest that marred the rescheduled examination yesterday.

    She said the problem was over bloated admission of nursing students conducted by the former administration. 

    “This admission was done in April, so they were already in school when we came in. 

    “The schools were supposed to have taken at least 75 students only for the institutions, but what we met on ground was 420 students.  “This is what we are trying to manage. We didn’t create it, but we have to find solution.”

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    The commissioner said after the protest,  Nursing Council stepped in, sent a director from Abuja. “We held a meeting with them and they said, for the students to take the exams, they must be sure.”

    “We have to follow strictly the guidelines, that the first thing first, will be to verify that they have correct WAEC result.” 

    She said: “We started the process immediately. We requested the names from the principals of the two schools; Nursing School, Amachara and Nursing School, Umuahia and they provided the names, provided the documents. And have cleared about 500 students out of 700 and something of them.”

    Following protest by some nursing students a few weeks ago over alleged result and admission racketeering, the state government cancelled the PTS exam and rescheduled it.

  • Lagos Assembly passes College of Nursing Bill

    Lagos Assembly passes College of Nursing Bill

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday passed the Bill for A Law to Establish the Lagos State College of Nursing (Schools of Nursing, Midwifery And Public Health Nursing) and Other Connected Matters.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bill had earlier scaled through the Third Reading before it was passed through a voice vote led by the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa.

    The Speaker of the House directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for assent.

    According to the bill, the college is to provide courses of instruction, training and other facilities in health-related issues.

    “The college is expected to make these facilities available on proper terms to such persons as are eligible to benefit from them.

    The bill read in part: “the college shall provide courses of instruction on Nursing, midwifery and Public Health as the College may consider fit.

    “It shall conduct examination award degree programmes, National Diploma, Certificates and Higher National Diploma in Nursing, Midwifery and other related courses.

    “Persons who have pursued instructions of study approved by the college and have fulfilled the set conditions are entitled for such award.

    “It shall establish such departments, schools or other units of learning and research as may be required.’’

    It also provides that the college will have a Governing Council that will consist of the Chairman, the Director of Nursing and a representative from the Ministry of Health.

    Also on the council would be a representative of the Ministry of Education and a representative of the Governing Board of Lagos State University College of Medicine amongst others.

  • UNIABUJA to run Mass Communication, nursing, soon

    The University of Abuja would soon start running courses in mass communication, nursing, biochemistry, geology and others, its Vice Chancellor, Prof Michael Adikwu, has said.

    He said this at a briefing in Abuja on Monday to celebrate three years in office as vice-chancellor.

    Adikwu said the university had secured full accreditation for most of the courses that were not fully accredited in the past.

    “We are thinking of courses not hitherto running in the university how we can begin to offer them – courses like nursing, mass communication, biochemistry, geology and host of others.

    “We are looking at expanding into those areas. If we have more courses, more students can be taken.

    “All the 12 courses have full accreditation,” the VC said.

    He said it was not true that the university was paying half salaries to the university workers.

    “It is not true that we were paying half salaries. We have never paid less than 85 per cent or 90. The bursar can confirm this that we have never paid less than 85 per cent.

    “It was not only University of Abuja, but all the federal institutions. Some paid 75, some paid 80. Our own was very good,” he added.

  • Nursing education: fixing the cracks

    Nursing education: fixing the cracks

    At the Nursing Academia summit held recently in the University of Ibadan, lecturers in the Nursing profession had a round table discussion with their students to identify and proffer solutions to the challenges in the Nursing Academia.

    The initiative was birthed by the Institute of Nursing Research, Fellowship of Christian Nurses Southwest Zone, Nigeria, an organization passionate about impacting families and communities through research.

    While delivering the welcome address, Mr Oluwadamilare Akingbade, the Chief Executive officer of the Institute was excited, welcoming participants to Ibadan. He opined that the choice of Ibadan as the venue was strategic as Nursing Education started from the city. He was optimistic that from the deliberations in the summit a new Nigerian Nursing Academia would emerge.

    Charging the participants,, Revd. Olusegun Salako, a preoperative nurse who has mentored a lot of nursing students over the years lamented the state of health in Nigeria, noting that: “If the health sector will be built, we will need nurses without cracks.”

     He added that the systems became what they were because of the people managing it. “Fix the people, you are on the way to fixing the system,” he said.

    Quoting Marva Collins, he said: “When our students fail, we as teachers too have failed.”  He affirmed that before lecturers could fix the students, they themselves needed to be fixed as the students they produced would be a reflection of who they are.

    Giving her key note address, Professor Prisca Adejumo, the Head, Nursing Department, University of Ibadan harped on how the cracks in Nursing Education could be fixed. She lamented the pain nursing students go through in the course of their training, noting that nursing training might be stressful but does not have to be painful.

    She gave a clarion call to nurse educators to have a sober reflection on how they treat their students.

    She said: “Don’t victimize the nursing students, stop shouting at them. Ask yourselves am I really nursing the nursing students like I will nurse my children? This was the question on her lips for lecturers in nursing. They are the most important people in the nursing citadels. Without them, there are no nursing faculties”.

    Speaking on the state of mentorship in Nigerian Nursing, she disclosed how immensely she benefited from one, showering accolades on her mentors in the nursing Academia.

    She submitted that the real mentors are scarce and this is a crack that needed to be fixed. She attributed her achievement so far in Nursing to the grace of God and hard work.

    The special guest of honour, the Head of Department, Nursing, Lagos State University, Dr Bola Ofi, stated that HND certificate awarded to nurses in Nigeria is a process and not a destination.  She noted that nursing leaders had been advocating that nursing be moved to the University, stating that the movement to the university was just a way to go for the nursing Academia in Nigeria.

    Responding to a question on the poor placement of graduate nurses in the clinical sector as against their counterparts from other health professions, Dr. Okanlawon decried the ugly trend noting that that nurses are not speaking up loud enough at the decision table. He added that this was not the role of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria but National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).

    He expressed shock after discovering from the students seated that they do not  have a virile Students Union Government in their schools and how the  existing few has been caged.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • LASUTH Asst Director of Nursing launches two books

    LASUTH Asst Director of Nursing launches two books

    The Assistant Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH), Mrs. Shode Modupe Jokotola, has launched two books: “Paediatric First Aid” and Emergency Management Skills”, and “Professional Nursing as a passion”.

    The launch was held at the MCR Hall, LASUTH, Lagos.

    While one of the books focuses on first aid requirements, the other is about transformational leadership.

    According to Mrs. Shode the books are for mothers, nannies, house maids and anybody who plays the role of a mother and a leader.

    “Apart from nurses, everybody should have these books because they include how to be a positive leader through transformational leadership style, anybody can emerge and be a leader anywhere,” she said, adding: “This is not for nurses alone because I wrote about transformational leadership and anybody can be a leader, even if President Buhari read from this book he can get something from it, so, it cuts across. When power or duty is delegated, quality is expected. And when they say quality, quality should be everywhere, including when delegated. So, it’s like a combination of everything. The second one is a handbook on pediatrics; anybody could have that at home too.”

    She continued: “Mothers, nannies, house help will find the book useful. You can give it to your house help and tell her that if the baby runs temperature, quickly look into this book, it’s all being explained there with pictures in colour so there’s something you can quickly do.”

    Mrs. Shode, who will be retiring in less than a month, explained why she chose to launch the books based on her over 35 years of  meritorious service.

    “I’ve been planning for the books separately, but I decided to launch them together because I’m going on retirement and this is the best time to launch them while I’m still in service, my retirement is next month. And then to leave a legacy so that anybody, who picks them up and read would be able to know exactly what I’ve done in LASUTH and can follow through because the first chapter is about me and LASUTH. It’s from the second and third chapter that I wrote about nursing,” she said.

    At the book launch were LASUTH CMD Prof. Wale Oke; Provost, Lagos College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof Solagberu Babatunde; HOD, LASUCOM’s Department of Nursing, Dr. Bola Ofi, among others.