Mrs Mary Oritimehin, Provost of Oasis College of Nursing Sciences, Kuje, Abuja, has urged governments at all levels to improve the remuneration of nurses to motivate them to give their best to the profession.
Oritimehin made the call during the matriculation of 113 students of the college in Abuja. She also advocated for an improved working environment for nurses to stem brain drain in the health sector.
She noted that Nigerian nurses are highly valued abroad because of the rigorous training they receive in the country.
However, she lamented that poor remuneration and harsh working conditions in Nigeria are pushing nurses to seek greener pastures overseas.
“Huge resources are being spent training nurses in the country without retaining them to develop the health system.
“It doesn’t make sense that resources will be spent training them and they won’t stay back to develop the healthcare system.
“However, the challenge can be addressed by intentional policies aimed at making life easier for nurses. This will enable them to practise their profession in the country seamlessly,” she said.
The provost added that governments should make concerted efforts to retain nurses trained in the country by providing them a better life through improved remuneration, enhanced self-esteem, and a conducive working environment.
“When there is an opportunity for them to enhance their standard of living here, moving abroad will become unattractive,” she said.
She described the current situation, where two nurses attend to more than 40 patients, as detrimental to their mental health and the image of the nursing profession.
Oritimehin disclosed that the 113 matriculated students were admitted to study both basic and national diploma courses in nursing. She said the students would be trained to contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria’s health system.
In his remarks, the Registrar of the College, Mr Chukwudi Odoh, said the institution was working hard to contribute to the development of manpower for the country’s health sector.
Odoh noted that relevant regulatory bodies — the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the National Board for Technical Education, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board — had granted the necessary approvals for the admissions.
One of the matriculating students, Michael Amarachi, expressed excitement about securing admission to study basic nursing.
“I can’t stand seeing sick people without helping them. When my uncle died, I was in so much pain because I couldn’t help.
“So, I chose to study nursing to be able to contribute my quota to improving the health of the Nigerian population,” he said.
