Do Nurses Speak?

DO NURSES SPEAK Let me start with a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." I was inspired to write this after meeting with a woman of virtue with a rare way of life and a distinct thinking who is a Nurse and at the same time a public speaker.
Many times we see Nurses hiding as a result of fear or being discouraged as a result of pressure from the profession or professional colleagues, and so, instead of talking will prefer to keep mute or calm and at the long run will say “the patient dog eat the fattest bone” but my question to all is that does this really work in the world today in relation to our profession?
My question to all our leaders out there is that;
Do you want us as Nurses to be relevant among other professionals?
Do you want us to get the respect we deserve?
Do you want us to get back our place in the health sector?
Do you want the community and everyone out there to stop viewing Nursing as a second class health profession?
If NO, then you can stop the younger ones in the profession from talking and kill the zeal to speak in us.
But if YES then I suggest we start from our schools and start training the youths on how to be leaders who will be bold and can speak anywhere in any situation.
If the institutions training   Nurses either at the University  or Schools of Nursing level start having Vibrant and Vocal  students unions who can speak out and defend students interest,  coming into the profession after  training will  mark a turnaround for the profession.
Nurses shouldn’t be trained to be weak all in the name of being humble.
Nurses shouldn’t be trained to be mute all in the name of respect for the leaders in the profession.
Nurses shouldn’t be trained to put their heads low when other health professionals are talking all in the name of humility and cooperation.
Nurses shouldn’t be shut down while expressing their opinion to the senior colleagues irrespective of their cadre all in the name of hierarchy in the profession.
Truly, the leaders in Nursing will say when did they do all these things?? They won’t know because they know boldness, speaking and advocating are required of a Nurse but one way or the other it is being influenced and affected negatively by hegemony of hierarchy. Where the junior Nurses are not allowed to speak or given audience to clarify issues with the senior colleagues.
Some clinicians will say ‘it was not like this in our own time, these students are not disciplined, how they can talk like that’. all because the students have expressed their mind without any element  of insult or disrespect. Let me emphasize that, respect is an essential component of Human existence, hence as young Nurses we hold our seniors in great esteem and NEVER disrespect them. We all need to understand we are in a new world where only the bold and the strong one can lead and become great.  Therefore, for Nursing to be great, Nurses need to be bold and strong.
On This Note, I Conclude By Saying Without Us Speaking And Acting, Nursing Will Remain Limited And Cheated In Many Ways.
A wise man once said “wise men speak because they have something to say: fools because they have to say something” Plato
As wise Nurses we need to say things that will better Nursing not just because we have to talk. Nursing need us to grow. To all student Nurses out there, either from the university or schools of Nursing, never allow anyone or anything to kill the zeal to make a positive change in Nursing, remember that "the day you stop speaking is the day you become irrelevant" Orolugbagbe Joel O.
To all the staff Nurses out there, who are already making the positive change, I want to urge you all to continue and never be discouraged as Nursing will get better soon with people like YOU. And to all those who feel threatened when the young nurses speak, you need not be as it will benefit all and sundry, remember nothing has been achieved by silence and self-imposed mutism.
Let us come together to speak to better this humble profession.
We are Nurses and in I’m proud to be one.

I am Orolugbagbe Joel O.
S2 President Sparkling Light Press Group OAUTHCSON
Inspired by (Nurse) Mrs Okesola E.A
Lecturer at School Of Psychiatric Nursing Aro Abeokuta.

I have that strong believe in the power of God through PEN, PAPER, SPEECH AND ACTIONS that we will bring the CHANGE Nursing need".

I reference
Mr Ajayi Adewale
Nurse Osundeyi Kehinde (Life Coordinator SLPG)