Nursing professionals have called for improved welfare, more training opportunities and greater inclusion in health-sector decision-making, warning that a shortage of oncology nurses is undermining cancer care in Nigeria.
They made the call in separate interviews with reporters in Abuja.
According to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Nigeria records between 102,000 and 127,763 new cancer cases and approximately 72,000 to 79,542 cancer-related deaths annually.
The professionals said the country lacked enough specialists to meet the growing demand for cancer care, adding that the migration of trained nurses to other countries had worsened the situation.
Prof. Khadijat Musah, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences at the Federal University Otuoke in Bayelsa State, estimated that Nigeria had about 300 oncology nurses.
Musah expressed concern about the migration of trained nurses and urged the government to improve their welfare.
“I am using this opportunity to thank the leadership of Nigeria and everybody in government. But they should try and look into the welfare of oncology nurses,” she said.
She said only two institutions in Nigeria trained oncology nurses, each admitting up to 50 candidates, depending on available resources and capacity.
According to her, some universities had introduced postgraduate programmes in oncology nursing, including master’s and doctoral degrees.
“Our voices need to be heard because we are patient advocates. We see them go through the pain,” Musah said.
She said nurses’ close contact with patients gave them first-hand knowledge of the challenges people faced during cancer treatment and recovery.
Also speaking, oncology nurse Ann Joachim described the shortage of trained specialists as a major challenge.
“We are short-staffed. We have a limited number of trained oncology nurses.
“You find out that a nurse will sacrifice her time, her talent, her skill just to acquire the specialty she needs as an oncology nurse,” Joachim said.
She said oncology nurses were not adequately rewarded for their specialised skills and also faced occupational risks associated with cancer care.
Despite the challenges, Joachim encouraged young nurses to specialise in oncology.
“I will advise them to come into the profession. If not for anything, for the love, for the compassion, for the ability to participate in curtailing this disease called cancer,” she said.
Fatima Adam, Vice-President of the Oncology Nursing Society of Nigeria, highlighted the critical role oncology nurses played in cancer treatment.
Adam, who works at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, said no multidisciplinary cancer-care team was complete without an oncology nurse.
“In cancer care today, we talk about the multidisciplinary team (MDT), which is never complete without an oncology nurse, who is always at the bedside of the patient 24/7,” she said.
She also advocated introducing nursing students to oncology early to encourage more young professionals to specialise in the field.
“Catch them young,” Adam said.
Similarly, Nanre Mampak, an oncology nurse and educator with more than 20 years of experience, called for nurses to be included in decisions affecting healthcare delivery.
“People who know nothing about nurses go to take decisions and ask nurses to implement.
“My advice for Nigerian government is that let us make nurses fully inclusive in decision-making in the health sector,” she said.
