INTERNATIONAL NURSES' WEEK: VALUE OF NURSING AND VALUE PLACED ON NURSES IN NIGERIA. By Olabanji Joel.

Every 12th of May is the birthday celebration of the mother of modern nursing in person of Florence Nightingale. This day is the major day to celebrate Nurses all over the globe. The 2021 International Nurses week started on the 6th and ends today, 12th of May 2021. Last year, the world battled with the height of pandemic caused by Covid-19 and it was a year that was declared the year of Nurses and Midwives by the World Health Organization. During this trying moment, I could relate the value of Nurses to the heart of a being and this is simply because when the heart stops working, such person is declared clinically dead.  Nurses are the heart of health care system. This implies that the health care system collapses when her impact isn't felt and this is a major reason why nurses rarely go on strike despite several insults, ill treatment and devaluation that faces the profession and the professionals.


The value placed on nurses directly connote the value placed on the profession. In other words, when the nurses are not treated well, the profession isn't treated well and when these professionals react the way they should in other to get their deserved value, the whole health care industry and patients will suffer for it. On several occasions especially in Nigeria, we have seen nurses being assaulted while on duty, kidnapped on duty or burnt and killed. Sadly, they are being owed salaries, denied their rightful positions in the health sector as well as some entitlement.  Also, their  welfarism is being treated with levity and many other disheartening conditions they are being subjected to. This shows the kind of value being placed on the profession which has resulted to efflux of vibrant nurses from the country in search of greener pasture and value. The frustrated but lucky ones gets celebrated once they relocate because they gets value they deserve and also properly remunerated and positioned. 


Sadly, the country seems to be unbothered about the professionals leaving the country. However, the effect of this will soon be felt as  those who are to uphold and sustain the profession are being frustrated out of the country (a country that produces insufficient number of nurses needed to care for the growing population but still due to ill treatment pushes away those available). Nursing practice in Nigeria is difficult due to lack of proper equipment to work with, a lot of improvisation, increased workload, devaluation, insult, assault as well as shortness of staff to care for the ailing ones. Stories of nurses dying during the course of their duty are no longer new as well as nurses breaking down with several ailments due to brain drain, physical or psychological stress among others but at the end get little or no appreciation. It is the international nurses week, a week to appreciate nurses for their sacrifices and inputs into health care. Several world leaders have been utilizing this opportunity to encourage, appreciate and boost the morale of these professionals but nothing from our country leader. This could further demonstrate how nurses are being valued under this administration.



There is immense impact of nursing on the health sector as all the activities in the hospital revolves round nursing practices. It is what depicts the value of the profession and the value to be placed on the professionals. If the health care delivery in Nigeria would be better, then brain drain and devaluation of nurses must stop, the value of the profession must be restored and the health of the nation would be restored. To all fellow nurses out there, we are the unseen heroes. Although we don't get appreciated, we still work and make sacrifices to ensure the hospital works efficiently. This may not be seen but the inner joy we derive when things work well keeps us going.  The pain we feel in our heart loosing our patients is something we can't express. The cries at our lone periods and the determination to save more from deaths keeps us pressing on.

FOR WE CARE WITH EMPATHY. 

WE GIVE THE BEST TO ENSURE OPTIMAL HEALTH FOR OUR PATIENTS, THE WELLNESS OF THE WORLD, PROMOTION OF HEALTH, PREVENTION OF ILLNESSES AND ALSO FACILITATE COPING WITH DISABILITIES ARE OUR AIMS.

WE ARE NOT ORDINARY, WE ARE HEROES!

Happy International Nurses Week 2021.

Written by Olabanji Joel.

A Nurse, Writer and Socialist.

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