WHY ULTRASONOGRAPHY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE NURSING CURRICULUM – Adeyemo Nifemi

Nrs. Adeyemo Nifemi is one of the brilliant brains in nursing profession making great waves in the field of Ultrasonography. He has trained major health professionals like doctors, Nurses and medical laboratory scientists etc on ultrasound skills. He co-founded Recon health consult with his beautiful wife who’s a spine surgeon. In this interview with Fellow Nurses Africa, the Obafemi Awolowo University Nursing graduate discusses his journey into ultrasonography and how nurses can thread to pick a career in the field. FNA: Good day to you sir, Can we please meet you? Adeyemo Nifemi: Good day to you. My name is Adeyemo Nifemi, and I am a vibrant polyvalent and highly resourceful young male Nurse with a vast knowledge which cut across Nursing, management, Information communication and ICT. I have a good Communication skill, problem solving skills, ability to work under Pressure and the ability to team up for goal actualization. I have a burning passion for youth development with a goal of helping them become financially independent and societally relevant for nation building. I am a registered nurse, midwife and public health, a degree holder in nursing science OAU and a song minstrel. FNA: Tell us about your interesting journey into the nursing profession? Adeyemi Nifemi: I love nursing. It was a divine instruction. As at the time a gained admission into OAU, I had the privilege to study medicine or nursing. I choose Nursing and up till now no regret at all. FNA: Great. Tell us about your marital life? Adeyemo Nifemi: Well I am happily married to a sweet woman. She happens to be a medical doctor (SR spine surgeon). FNA: Beautiful couple, I believe you both are working together to build a strong healthcare system in the Nigeria healthcare industry? Adeyemo Nifemi: Definitely… We have plans of starting up soon. We have started with a Scan Center, we run a health tourism medical consult ATM (Recon Health Consult) and we hope to establish a world class medical facility soon. FNA: ULTRASONOGRAPHY is one of the medical specialities least threaded by nurses, how were you able to develop interest in that field? Adeyemo Nifemi: I once worked in a facility were my boss was so generous to show me ways around the USS. It was forcefully initially because I needed to scan close to 500 patients in a month, but I got attracted to it because of the results I got and how people preferred that I do their scans. I latter got to know that my knowledge as a midwife was the major advantage. I got more interested and I started going for courses, studied more personally and now I believe I am proficient to a level in USS. I am now a member of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (isuog). I have a dream of becoming one of the best in the world in few years. I have picked up a career in USS already. FNA: I have seen cases of how a scan result gave a wrong diagnosis, in which some of these patients end up in theatre. Why do these things happen? How do you think it can be corrected? Adeyemo Nifemi: Nursing profession is that profession where little or nothing has been achieved. So there are opportunities to shine but people are either ignorant or lazy. USS is an imaging system of diagnosis. There are standards of pattern recognition how ever majority of the findings are subjective and based on the knowledge and experience of the personnel and the machines model. Amidst controversial result, I seek for second opinion of another sonographer or radiologist. I intend to stop or reduce incidence like this by getting accreditation from international body or partner with them to establish an institution where people can learn properly and also I have a dream of seeing USS included in Nursing curriculum (midwifery) FNA: What are the 5 skills you think a Nigerian nurse in the 21st century must have? Adeyemo Nifemi: Skills for operating medical equipments like Ecg, Ctg, Ultrasound, ICT, communication and managerial skill, entrepreneurship and one craft skill at least FNA: What is your definition of entrepreneurship? Adeyemo Nifemi: Creating value from untapped or yet to be exhausted resources for wealth creation FNA: What is the reformation the Nigerian health industry needs? Adeyemo Nifemi: Restructuring in patient care should be approached from a perspective of team work. (shared care). Doctors, Nurses, Pham, MLS etc who will be involved in patient care should manage as a team

• NHIS… There is a need for reformation and restructuring of NHIS… It will work if fraud is dealt with.
• Thirdly, affiliation of Nursing school with Universities, specialization of Nurses stronger interprofessional cooperation

FNA: What advice will you give health care facilities owners on employing a sonographer? Adeyemo Nifemi: They should have at least a basic knowledge of USS too, sponsor their sonographer for periodic update trainings and get a good machine for operation FNA: What will you advise sonographers who want to start out on their own? Adeyemo Nifemi: 1.They should get a good location where they can give value 2. Consult on the machine before jumping to buy one 3. Make up their mind to understudy and have a biz plan, marketing plan and good work structure from the start 4. Build strong accounting system FNA: Do you think Nigeria can compete on the world’s best health care system using technologies? Adeyemo Nifemi: Hmmmm. Not yet. But very soon yes! FNA: What measures do you think health care providers in Nigeria can take maximize the use of technology? Adeyemo Nifemi: 1. Mind training on dropping old practices and embrace new trend 2. Training on how to maximise technology 3. Move from known to unknown 4. Attend workshops where some of the machine usage are taught 5.practice the use of technology in patient care 6. Investing into the next generation FNA: Your final words Adeyemo Nifemi: Nurses have a great advantage of one of the most important resources which is time. I wish I can talk to young nurses about time management and time investment. There is nothing called limitation, its a mind concept and that is where it is strongest. Limitation is of the mind. FNA: Thank you for your time Mr Adeyemo Adeyemo Nifemi : You’re most welcome