NURSING IN THE CONTEMPORARY TIMES, THE ILLS, CAUSES AND THE WAY FORWARD. Often said is a saying that from two or more persons confessing thesame facts, the truth shall be established. Evident beyond denial at every sunset and sunrise is that the profession called Nursing is not at ease in Nigeria. While it is true that few will admit that the profession is good for them because they are eating from the ruin of the system, it is also true that vast majority are in pains beyond the expression of the buccal cavity. What a time in the book of history! 
While some are of the opinion that this is the time for more action than talking, we still can’t gloss over our collective pains in the name of acting the talking because it is by analysing the ills of the system that we can understand the enormity of the task ahead of us. In recent times, oppression is the new way of our supposed leaders, dormancy to critic issues has been chosen as the next hall of residence, the road leading to nowhere is where we have been led to follow without no rationale but with decree as if Nursing administration is equivalence with that of monarchy. In addition, the public image that keep debasing on daily basis is not out of the ills in the system. Pathetically, the media still believes that toying with nursing can keep fetching them money at the direct expense of the profession without any consequences. The ideas of the youngs are increasingly becoming threat to our leaders and all reasonable developed measures to internally resolve issues are being frustrated. This is our contemporary realities. Nothing has ever existed and nothing will ever exist without a source, an African proverb submitted. Therefore, it is imperative to dissect the origin of the ills of nowadays. Perhaps, with the help our insights and the realities in time past as told by the history, we can conclude that disunity gave birth to all the anomalies in Nigeria nursing today. Whatever can be further imagined as a cause either originate from disunity or its effects. Going down the memory lane, the birth of NANNM was supposed to be our bail out and the association to restore the lost unity, but very pathetic is the fact that NANNM is being called upon for reformation since her leadership didn’t see any reason for such. NANNM failed, not the founders but those who took over the baton. Only if we had heeded to the advice of HRM, Kabiyesi Oba Olabode Moses in moving all SON/M into the proximal universities in the 80’s, maybe the songs of today would have been measures to climb new heights rather than the song of measures out of our quagmire and climbing inception. More so, it is not lost on us that the university lecturers aren’t financial members of NANNM… The big question here is Why? In the event of this, one shouldn’t wonder why the effects of our intellectuals, our well read senior nurses and our professors are not being evident beyond doubt in the scheme of things. The failure to move all SON/SOM to the proximal universities 40years ago not only increase the extent of our disunity but also injected lots of nurses with low self esteem into the already humiliated profession in Nigeria health care industry. Going forward, it is essential to look into the possibilities for deliverance. We therefore hold the view that it is high time the advise of HRM, Kabiyesi Oba Olabode and the recommendations of progressive others is heeded to by swiftly moving all hospital based training into the proximal universities and collectively shun the LCN/LCM program. Also, it is time to progressively utilize our possessed weapons in the profession for a turn around victory. Weapons such as our population, our intellectuals, the vibrant young nurses and the well connected are all available to our advantage like never before. We are also of the opinion that this can be achieved through a national conference centred on analysing our challenges and simultaneously geared at NANNM reformation and comprehensive review and corrections of the NMCN ACTS based on the way forward provided by nurses from different strata, such that the NEW NMCN ACT will contain value and clearly define autonomy of practice for nurses and the REFORM NANNM will be as powerful as it was conceived to be by the founding fathers. For WE KNOW that once the source can consistently produce sweetness and progress, the channels connected to it will continually carry nothing but sweetness and progress as produced from the source. Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your views with us in the comments section.
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
