Season greetings to you in advance dearly beloved,my heart is filled with joy to know that you have sucessfully concluded your general Nursing program,i can relate my dear as i was in this euphoric state of excitement many years ago,as you celebrate with family and friends,i would love to share a few words of advice from my Nursing journey;
THE LIFE OF A NIGERIAN REGISTERED NURSE.
Please note that nursing in Nigeria in terms of earnings and job availability is yet to attain a uniform status,if you work outside lagos and few places like abuja,PortHarcourt,you are most likely going to earn less than your collegues.
2,it will be wise for you to save for the furture,if you do not have sponsors,please save on a monthly bases,i will be practical on how much you need to secure greener pastures abroad,if you want to register for IELTS which is complulsory for UK,AUSTRALIA,US,CANADA,you need 68k(sixty eight thousand naira).,if you prepare well you may end up writing it once,in my case however i wrote this exam more than once.
3,CBT exam for the UK will cost you about 75 TO 80K depending on were you are and other expenses you may need to make before the exam date.
4,You will need to make payments to the British NMC for your credential assessment and verification,that will cost about thesame amount,school transcript will cost you money,Nigerian nursing council will charge you for certificate verification,all your documents will need to be sent to the UK,some will be uploaded,others sent directly,if you add this up you will see that you need about 250k or more to conclude your process and that is if you pass all your exams at once,you will need to purchase or photocopy your Royal Marsdern textbook,it will cost money,this and many more are reasons why you need to work and save money if UK is your target.
EDUCATIONAL OPTIOINS
Open University is available for you to start up and upgrade immediately if you are not a graduate Nurse.
UK Universities like Anglia Ruski,University of Sunderland will cost you about 4million,if you have a sponsor,it is a good option as IELTS is waved off for you after graduation as you can go ahead to write your CBT exam and complete your nursing registration process but how about the school fees,very expensive if you cant afford it then you need to try other options.
Direct entry to Nigerian University is also an option for you,if you have a degree already you might decide to pursue further degrees in public Health In countries like America,they are better,more reasonable and can provide you an avenue to work and live in the US.
POSTBASIC NURSING.
One of the mistakes i made was going for postbasic Nursing,my sisters and brothers,if you have a diploma in Nursing,the best idea would be to obtain a degree,postbasic nursing is hyped,it will not change your status when you get to the Western World as it only gives you psychological satisfaction that you have done something extra,i would advice that you rather use the money for postbasic to write board exams,pursue your degrees or better still go for certifications on Safety and Health,BLS,ACLS and diversify,Nigerian system of certificate classification in Nursing gives Postbasic Nursing a very disheartening status that only has value when you are stranded in a government hospital,if you go abroad even in South Africa,you are certified in any postbasic field by simply working in that unit for a specific period of time,be wise,spend your money with wisdom and pursue your dreams.
WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
FMC hospitals,TEACHING Hospitals,General Hospitals have a salary structure that is yet to be reviewed to a reasonable and respectable salary scale,if you are decieved by the name and compound size, you will find yourself in a prison yard like most of your senior metrons,i worked with them for years,the salary will discourage you from giving your best,as a young Nurse,i would advice you earn higher until Nigeria is ready to have your services at the right pay,a typical example,my collegues that have spent 10 years in luth are still earning less than 100thousand naira thats about 200hundred dollars,is that what you desire in life?,my dear newly qualified nurse think before you get admitted into their prison in the name of federal job,when i resigned and got a new job as a nurse else were,my salary currently is more than that of my collegues who have spent about 14years or more in service be wise,ask questions,demand for more,study for more,pray for more,travel wide for more,you deserve more.
WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE HOSPITALS
Your time with the private hospitals should be strictly for the purpose of sharpening your skills,learning and practicing what youve been taught,it is not a place to go and relax,it is also a place to save money to plan for the furture while you wait for your dreams to come through,do not relax there,do not argue with their Auxillaries,if you can strenghten your hands on the job that will be great,please be hopeful,one day we will win the war against quackery in Nurisng here in Nigeria.
WERE TO LOOK FOR JOB INSTEAD.
Male Nurses and Female Nurses should not limit their selves,when you get your experience,you can apply in oil firms,construction firms,multinationals,NNPC,Military and parlamilitary,Navy,Airforce,Immigrations,Police,Nigerian Prisons,NNPC,Customs,Samsung,Nestle,the list is endless,we are usually afraid that we wont get,but shell are still recruiting on Locum basis,Mobil etc,when you take up the contract jobs or call duties you can raise money and move on to your dreams.
You need to know that you can get to the top,you have to change things,do things differently if you do not want to retire as your metron,if you must go far,you must be vissionary,LIFE WILL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU DREAM AND PURSUE CALCULATIVELY SO DREAM HIGH.
From Nurse Emeka Nwosu
