Types of Nursing: Nursing News, Jobs, Opportunities

Value is an indicator of worth. Value defines quality. Value determines the quality of influence or impact. Value could be an upward surge or a downward spiral; it could be worthwhile or worthless; its quality could be excellent or mediocre; its influence or impact could be positive or negative. In our context, value connotes superior quality that distinguishes from all others. To become successful, you must become a person of value. In fact, until you become valuable you can never become successful. The more valuable you become, the more successful you become. This invariably implies, you do not seek to become successful rather you seek to become a person of value and you will automatically become successful. The level of contribution you make to life is dependent on the level and quality of value you create for others. Your influence increases when your value increases. Every human being has equal intrinsic value or self-worth; however, value can be appreciated or increased and value can also be depreciated or decreased. Value is increased through personal growth and development. Value could be decreased through self-depreciation and a stagnating or negative mindset. Value is a product of the level you have grown your mind through investment in self. The quality of investment in self is proportionate to the value you create for others. Therefore, value births influence and influence is the lead way to relevance. The start-up of a life of value is living a life of integrity. A person of value is not for sale because his or her life is built upon the rock solid foundation of integrity. And upon the rock solid foundation of integrity, towering heights of influence is built. The person of value does not compromise values that are based on eternal or timeless principles. Moral breakdown is the cause of societal breakdown. In fact, moral breakdown is the lead way to emotional breakdown; mental breakdown; relational breakdown and even financial breakdown. When morality is trampled underfoot, value erodes from life. When morality is elevated, value is enhanced. Integrity is not an outdated idea rather it is an upgraded version of living without regrets. What matters in life is the small things that adds up to make the big things. The root of integrity bears the fruit of respect, dignity and trust. Without integrity, value is lost. When there is a breakdown of integrity, there will be a breakdown of trust and when there is a breakdown of trust there will be a breakdown of harmony and when there is a breakdown of harmony, life loses its potency. Integrity is not flexible in nature; it is not situational; there is no middle ground-it’s either you have integrity or you are void of integrity. John Maxwell reveals, “Integrity commits itself to character over personal gain; to people over things; to service over power; to principle over convenience; to the long view over the immediate.” Crisis does not make character rather crisis reveals character. Everything you have done in the past and everything you’ve neglected to do unfold under moral pressure. Integrity is not a behavioral modification rather it is the modification of the thought processes. Integrity or character is not a product of upbringing or circumstances rather a life of integrity is a product of choice. Upbringing and circumstances undoubtedly influence your character. And except you are in your childhood, you are absolutely responsible for your choices through life including the character choice. The level of your value to the world is determined by the strength of character rather than the weight of your credentials. Credentials exploit rights and are short-lived; character expresses responsibility and it is timeless. The value of credentials starts and ends with self; it is self-focused. The value of character positively impacts the lives of others; its people centered. Credentials brags about past accomplishments or achievements. Character builds destinies thereby leaving a timeless legacy in people. Credentials stirs up envy or jealousy in people. Character attracts respect and trust from others. Credentials can open doors but character keeps the door perpetually open for you and consistently open greater doors and keeps them open. Character is the real deal. Public image is superficial unless it harmonizes with a strong moral character. D. L. Moody expresses, “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” How you treat people who cannot hurt you and whom you can gain nothing from is a test of the greatness of your character or lack of it. When you role-play based on the person you are with, you rule-out trust and a long term relationship with them. When you are not transparent with others, you trample relationships and business opportunities with others. Your commitment to live a life of integrity sets you up for victory in the moments of crisis or temptation. Integrity grows from the little things or minor things to the big things or major things. Integrity has no price-tag for its value is inestimable; it’s highly esteemed far above power, revenge, pride or money. Therefore, a person of value cannot be bought.

By Udeme Archibong

The notion of pivoting in your nursing career isn’t a new one, and that readiness to pivot can emerge emerges from a nimbleness of mind and a willingness to read the tea leaves of your career. Are you nimble?

Nurse Be Nimble, Nurse Be Quick

Being nimble in terms of your career means that you’re willing to think beyond what’s right in front of you. It also means doing the work of preparing and paving the groundwork for something that you want — and if you don’t know what you want, you’re at least asking the right questions.

Many nurses appear to settle into an area of nursing, rest on their laurels, and think less of the future than perhaps they should. These nurses don’t necessarily think a great deal about what they may want in five or ten years; thus, when they’re suddenly feeling unhappy and itchy for change, there’s much more work to be done due to the years they’ve spent avoiding any forward movement or thought for the future.

In a post from 2015, I wrote:
Listen to the voices that you hear. Pay attention to the ever-evolving zeitgeist of your industry. Know what other people are thinking, and if you work in an evidence-based profession, follow the evidence when it pertains to you and your area of expertise.
The Consequences of Non-Action

In Buddhism, the concept of non-action is an important one. You know the old adage, “Don’t just sit there, do something”? Well, in certain circumstances, it’s sometimes better to turn that around, and say, “”Don’t just do something, sit there.” However, when it comes to your career and its ongoing trajectory, I prefer action, even if that action is listening, thinking, and asking salient questions.

Let’s say you’re a nurse like me who worked in home health for the first decade of your career. You’ve never worked in the hospital, and while you love home health, you’ve actually been feeling called to finally take the plunge and enter the world of acute care. This may be a tough row to hoe since you’ve been in outpatient nursing for your entire career, but there’s no saying it’s not possible.

During these past ten years when you’ve been focusing exclusively on home health, you haven’t done any networking, your resume is a mess, and you have few contacts beyond your small universe of home care colleagues. All along, you’ve never considered that any of the hospital staff whom you’ve met could be helpful to your career in any way, so you haven’t connected with anyone on LinkedIn, built relationships, or otherwise laid the groundwork for the future.

In your mind, you’d like to jump right into the ICU, but common sense says that without any hospital experience since nursing school, you’re going to have to pay some dues, prove your mettle, and begin with a position in med-surg, step-down, or a sub-acute floor. Sure, you’d love to land an ICU position, but you simply don’t have the nursing skills or the connections to get you there. Your road will be challenging, but it’s not impossible — it’ll just take time, and diligent action on your part.

Reading the Inner Landscape

Being nimble of mind means being open to possibility. It also means that, in terms of your career, you’re steeped in curiosity and expansiveness, rather than wearing blinders.

As a nurse who is nimble of mind and quick to grasp opportunity, you not only read your immediate surroundings and the healthcare landscape around you; you also read the landscape within your heart and mind.

If there’s an inkling in your head or heart that what you’re doing now won’t hold water for you in a few years, now is the time to take inspired action in a new direction. That inspired action can simply be chatting with a nurse or manager who you know and trust, reaching out to a career coach for inspiration or seeking informational interviews with professionals who are holders of information that may be helpful to you.

If you maintain awareness of how you’re feeling about your career and work life, you’re more likely to take preemptive action that will foment change, rather than being reactive when the going gets tough remain Awake and Aware.

We can all get sleepy and lazy at certain points in our lives. We feel comfortable, we settle into the status quo, and we conveniently forget or ignore the fact that we may want something more down the road.

You must remain awake and aware to possibility, understanding that every colleague who you meet could be a source of brilliant information that will wake you up to something new. If you’re feeling complacent in your career, there’s no time like the present to do something about it and take a forward step.

As professionals, there’s always the micro and the macro. The micro is the minutiae of the day to day, the details of our lives and work. Meanwhile, the macro is the bigger picture, the bird’s eye view, and this is where we need to keep at least a little attention. It’s easy to get caught up in the web of details, but those details can blind you to the wider career horizon.

Being nimble and quick doesn’t necessarily mean turning on a dime or being blown in some new direction with every wind that comes your way. Being nimble and quick means that you’re listening, that you’re willing to change, and that you are quick to perceive that change may be in the air.

Is your workplace unstable? Are you becoming unhappy in your role? Do you feel limited or stuck? Is there something you’ve always wanted to do as a nurse? Is your current specialty area drying up and being supplanted by new technologies or skills?

I’m glad if these questions make you uncomfortable, because a little discomfort will galvanize you towards change, if change is what is called for.

Nurse be nimble, nurse be quick. Nurse, consider your future, and keep your eyes wide open.

———-

By
Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC.

Plenty of people probably have opinions about what your nursing career should look like. However, the person behind the wheel of your nursing career should be you. Are you truly driving the bus of your nursing career?

Who’s driving the bus of your nursing career?

Who’s Driving the Bus?

Nurses, it’s crucial for us nursing professionals to internalize the fact that being behind the wheel of our careers is paramount.

So many nurses I speak with feel constricted not only by the opinions of others, but also by the voices inside of their heads that tell them they’re “less than” and unworthy. Whether these voices come from family, friends, colleagues, teachers, or the culture at large, your professional trajectory must be stamped with your imprimatur, your own self-generated sense of approval and self-worth.

Self-Limitation

Owning the notion of being “just a nurse” is only one of the many ways that nurses diminish themselves, demean their expertise and professionalism, and essentially put others in the driver’s seat of their careers. Self-limiting statements and beliefs may include:

“I’m just a nurse.”
“I can’t be an entrepreneur; nurses don’t own businesses.”
“Nursing is a calling, not a career.”
“Nursing is a calling, not a platform for business.”
“Being assertive and forward-thinking isn’t natural for me.”
“Nurses aren’t as smart as doctors.”

There are plenty more self-limiting beliefs that nurses internalize, but you get the idea; such statements and beliefs weaken your ambition, convincing you that you’re just stuck where you are with nowhere else to go.

Get Behind the Wheel

Getting behind the wheel of your nursing career looks different for everyone. For one nurse, it means putting her nose to the grindstone, and pushing forward consistently until she earns the PhD that’s been in her sights for a decade or more. For another nurse, it’s becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant and hanging a shingle as a nurse entrepreneur. For yet another nurse, it’s opening a concierge nursing practice for the wealthy elderly in San Diego.

Whether it’s entrepreneurship, scholarship, research, or clinical practice—each nurse has the power to decide for him- or herself on the most efficient and fulfilling path to get there.

Make A Plan

Getting behind the wheel and driving the bus of your nursing career means that you come up with goals and a plan. Those goals can’t be amorphous and ambiguous, like “earn more money” or “be happier”; they need to be “SMART”: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

If you want to launch a business as a nurse entrepreneur, SMART goals can be very valuable in that process. And if you want to travel from being an ADN to a PhD or DNP, some prudent planning is definitely in order, especially in terms of finances, work load, and the path to that desired goal.

That said, “achievable” and “realistic” can mean different things to different people. If Steve Jobs had limited Apple’s goals to the “realistic” column, we probably wouldn’t have the iPhone or the iPod—or the entire smart phone revolution. And if Florence Nightingale hadn’t reached beyond her “station” and convinced the field doctors in the Crimea to do things differently, medicine and the nursing profession would have been in the Dark Ages a whole lot longer, sacrificing many lives along the way. Jobs and Nightingale didn’t think about SMART goals; they had a vision and didn’t allow anything to stand in the way of its achievement.

Yes, realistic and achievable are generally good guidelines for steering the bus, but remember that we must also reach beyond our comfort zones at times; that can definitely mean playing your cards close to your chest when it comes to the naysayers who are just waiting to tear you down and disabuse you of your opinion that what you want is indeed possible.

Take Charge

Plenty of people will have opinions about anything you want to do with your nursing career. Some will urge you to keep your horrible job because of the health insurance and stability, and others will convince you that starting a business in the current economy is financially suicidal. This is usually a result of their fear of doing such a courageous thing themselves, and they’ll readily project their fear on you.

Stick with the voices of people you trust, not the people who are “shoulding” all over you. Those “shoulds” are what’s going to get in your way; kick those folks out of the driver’s seat. In fact, why not kick them off the bus entirely?

Trusted advisers will generally steer you in the right direction, but make sure you vet your advisers for limiting beliefs that will slow you down or take you off course; even the most trusted mentor can allow his or her own fears and projections to color their advice and support.

Nurses, take charge, empty the bus of the unhelpful voices, and seize the steering wheel now. This is your journey, my friends; make it your own and play it big.
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———-

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC,

The Nursing Profession takes pride in the fact that it is committed to protecting, promoting, and improving health care for all as well as serving the public in a wide range of roles and work settings.

Therefore, as Nurses it is only fitting that we take one week each year to celebrate our profession and the vital roles we play in health care.

This week long celebration tagged INTERNATIONAL NURSES WEEK begins annually from 6th to 12th of May which is Florence Nightingale’s birthday who happens to be the mother of Nursing and commonly referred to as “The Lady with the Lamp”. The celebration features a host of events across the globe to honour Nurses for the work they do, and also educates the public about the role nurses play in health care.

Being the largest of the health care professions, it is a call for the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to follow suit the leading role set by other International Nursing Associations which has always led efforts to celebrate Nursing and ensuring that recognition is promoted as widely as possible as well as recognizing the contributions that Nurses and Nursing make to the community.

One particular plight plaguing the Nigerian Nursing Profession has always been “quackery”. Much has been written about quackery in nursing by concerned nurses, but little to nothing has been done about it.

Quackery is and still remains one of the leading causes of increasing mortality and morbidity in Nigeria health sector. The poor masses are the victim of this dangerous and widely increasing practice.

Thousands of innocent lives are lost and many more are seriously affected as a result. The exact number of deaths resulting from quackery remains unknown due to lack of reliable data, however there is clear evidence that quackery poses an increasing health problem to the Nigerian populace. Having a relative, friend or co-worker die as a result of sub-standard health care and quackery is really disheartening. It is clear that the Nigerian healthcare is not among the best in the world, but accepting, practicing and promoting quackery is like watering down an already watered down system!!!

“Quackery in nursing” is the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant nursing practices. A quack nurse” is an individual who is involved in nursing malpractice without possessing required qualifications, professional authority and legal right to undertake such activities in the first place.

Many factors play important roles in the ever increasing practice of quackery in nursing and constituting a serious problem in patient care.

Among which is lack of moral training and responsibility on the part of the individuals who engage in this heinous act and training. It is morally, ethically and socially unacceptable to perform an action which is beyond ones professional capabilities. By losing this insight and the sense of patient care possessed by a trained nursing professional, the quacks and their trainers become deprived of a sense of empathy and honesty. The Nursing Act acknowledges that quackery is illegal, yet there is no strong evidence of implementing this rule. Due to a lack of robust legal system and inadequacies in the judicial deterrence, the quacks continue to practice rather openly to such an extent that it has almost become a norm which reflects that quackery has become an accepted practice in the health sector.

A lack of understanding of differences between a Professional Nurse” and a quack nurse” has also contributed a great deal in the spread of quackery in nursing. Often, patients and their relatives do not question the attending personnels qualifications and competencies, they also lack the knowledge of who is truly a Professional Nurse licensed to provide the care they receive. This attitude of the general public also encourages quackery.

In order to eliminate this alarmingly growing problem which is adversely affecting the health of patients receiving nursing care, it is a collective responsibility of the nursing associations, governing bodies, health care professionals, health institutions, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary system to take clear, urgent and practical steps to stop this crime against the patient population and humanity as a whole.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) as the only relevant regulatory and licensing body alongside the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) have a legal duty to lay down clear guidelines with regards to professionals competencies in relation to qualifications necessary for nursing practice.It should be made very clear what is expected from a Registered Professional Nurse and what is considered as unprofessional and unethical so that in the event of quackery, appropriate legal actions may be taken in line with the set standards.

These authorities should categorically prohibit quackery in all circumstances and recommend legal actions against those found guilty.

Furthermore, clear and unambiguous definitions of standards of practice and what constitutes quackery in nursing is crucial. An up to date register for Registered Nursing Professionals providing the details of their credentials, scope of practice and designated professional duties is very important.

In addition, a close collaboration between the Nursing and Medical licensing bodies is required. There is a desperate need that all health related institutions and governing bodies come up with a collective policy to stop quackery in Nigeria as related to nursing practice.

Policies and guidelines would only become effective if they are implemented according to the required standards. The law enforcement agencies and the judiciary system need to appreciate the gravity of quackery and its impact on the lives of poor Nigerians.

Quackery should be classified as a crime and perpetrators should be brought to justice and be held responsible for compensation to the losses incurred by such practices.

As we commemorate the 2018 International Nurses Week with a national theme of “NURSING: A VOICE TO LEAD, HEALTH IS A HUMAN RIGHT” we hope and look forward to a Nursing Profession and Practice free of quackery and all its attending menace. It is important we know that patients are the reason we are nurses.

KELVIN Ossai

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The National Florence Nightingale Trophy Speech Contest (FNTSC) is an annual contest open to students from all Schools of Nursing in Nigeria. The 48th Annual Florence Nightingale Trophy Speech Contest held at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) School of Nursing, Egbe Kogi State, Nigeria with its theme; “Nurse, A Voice to lead! Healing and Caring: A Human Right”.

The competition ran from the 9th to the 12th of May and was structured in four stages including the essay writing, written quiz, oral interview and speech.
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Over forty students from schools ranging from as far as Akwa-Ibom, Jos, Gombe to Katsina began the competition on the 9th of May having submitted their essays earlier. The occasion flagged off with the opening ceremony on 10th May, 2018, the symbolic handing over of the Florence Nightingale shield by the winner of the 2017 edition, Mr. Nwanbiaka Mark.

Following this, the contestants were tested on their knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology. Medical-Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology and Foundation of Nursing among others.
At about 6:00pm on 11th May, 2018, the result of the quiz was announced. The top 20 students then underwent the rigorous interview with the interviewers made up of academic authorities in the field of nursing, professors and seasoned nursing tutors.

As the night progressed, the results of the oral interview was announced. This was a pre-requisite in determining the five contestants who would make it into the final round of the competition.
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At about 9:30pm, FNTSC committee members stepped into the hall for the announcement of the oral interview. As tutors and students trooped into the hall to listen to the results of the interview, there was an obvious change in the emotional atmosphere. Hearts raced, brows of sweat were clearly visible on some of the contestants as well as the accompanying tutors. Shortly after the results were announced, the Chairman announced the topic of the speech contest: “Nursing; the heartbeat of the nation’s healthcare system” leaving the top five contestants with limited time to prepare for the speech itself.

The grand finale held on 12th May, 2018. Finally, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. It was time for the contestants’ presentation. The time to write their names in the sands of time. However, only one would lift the shield. The contestant from the Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing, Lantoro Abeokuta was first presented with the opportunity to win. He began. He presented with utmost confidence, passion, and fiery desire to win, he ended his presentation and was well applauded. Like a belle in a ball, the aura of her smile and confidence swept majestically across the hall.

Even when applauses were not allowed during a presentation by a contestant, her first delivery went deservedly with a huge applause from the crowd. Again, midway into the presentation, another applause rang out and this time, it was not from the audience. It was from the high table. She was instantly tipped to win the competition. As she concluded, standing ovation from the high table, audience and other schools were given. The student Nurse from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Miss Adebayo Abimbola had won their hearts.
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The other contestants from Eleyele, Lagos and Ado Ekiti stepped out and also drove home their points impressively. While the results were being computed, the ECWA SON students had other presentations to entertain the audience. Also, the address by the Executive Governor of Kogi state, His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello was presented by his representative.

It was time for announcement of the results. The Judges and panellists gave their remarks commending all of the participants for their efforts and knowledge about Nursing and contemporary issues. The Panellists stated that each contestant was rated and scored using grammar, points, recommendations, relativity, lexis, definitions and composure as criteria. The winners were then announced. Below is a breakdown of the positions

1). OAUTHC School of Nursing, Ile-Ife Osun State.

2). LUTH School of Nursing, Lagos.

3). Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing, Lantoro Abeokuta.

4). School of Nursing Eleyele.

5). School of Nursing EKSUTH Ado-Ekiti Ekiti.

The winner of the 48th edition of the Florence Nightingale Trophy Speech Contest, Adebayo Abimbola is a 300 level Nursing student of the revered Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing, Ile-Ife Osun State. A tireless seeker of knowledge, a repertoire of awesome achievements.

Adebayo Abimbola was born on 20th of March some years back, and grew up in Akure in Ondo State, where she attended Saint Louis Girls Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State.

This upcoming poet, artist, playwright, orator, politician and soon to be registered Nurse started creative writing and speaking at the age of nine, a habit she expressed with keen enthusiasm.

She is an avid reader who derives pleasure in reading books from reputable authors such as Joel Osteen, John Maxwell, and Joyce Meyer among others.

Equipped with an extraordinary ability of expression and leadership, she currently directs the drama unit of the Fellowship of Christian Nurses, OAUTHC, she once served as the Director of News of SLA Press. To show her political inclination, she was voted in as the Assistant General Secretary of Student Union Government of OAUTHC SON, owing to her indefatigability, she was later voted in for the second tenure as the General Secretary of the aforementioned union.

Adebayo Abimbola is a columnist for the OAUTHC KILONSHELE News Outfit. When she isn’t glued to her textbooks, she spends time hanging out with her friends, spending quality time with her family, taking pictures and hanging out in various geek-related establishments. She has interest in Nursing Research and is looking forward to becoming a nurse reformer by reaching the zenith of the profession.

Her philosophy is “Excellence is never a competition with anyone else but a competition with the man in the mirror”

1. YOUR HOME IS CLEAN AND NEAT AT ALL TIME
2. YOU ARE SURE FOR ADEQUATE BALANCED DIET AT HOME
3. YOU SPEND LITTLE OR NO MONEY ON HEALTH
4. YOU ARE SURE OF TIMING BIRTH
5. YOUR SPOUSE IS HONOURED AMONG FAMILY AND FRIENDS
6. CONTRIBUTES FINANCIALLY TO THE FAMILY
7. SPENDS QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY
8. SERVES AS HEALTH CONSULTANT TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
9. KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THEIR PARENTAL AND MARITAL DUTIES WITH NO STRESS
10. KEEPS YOUR SECRETS FOR EVER

IF YOU DIDN’T MARRY A NURSE, YOU ARE SINGLE

A crisis is looming at the Awoyaya Hospital and Maternity Centre, Awoyaya, Ibeju lekki Lagos, after a medical doctor, identified as Dr Okolo Emmanuel allegedly assaulted a nurse, Adeyera Dorcas.

Her Report States:
I, Nurse Adeyera Dorcas was at my duty post on the said day alongside my other colleague and two health attendants. At about 2:00 am, there was an emergency just outside the hospital door, inside a car. I stepped out of the hospital to have a clear look at the patient who was said to have been involved in an accident and already fractured a bone in his left leg.

The patient was conscious and alert, no obvious respiratory distress but seemed to be in severe pain. I went back inside the hospital to notify the doctor on call in person of Dr. Okolo Emmanuel. I told him there’s an accident emergency outside the hospital and immediately went back to move the patient inside the hospital.

On getting there, I noticed that my colleague, Registered Nurse/ Midwife Adebiyi had already offered the patient a stretcher and the relatives were trying to get the patient on it then I noticed the patient and relatives were Hausa and the owners of the car were just helpers. Immediately they dropped the patient on the stretcher, they zoomed off.

Back inside the hospital, Dr Okolo who had been to the emergency room might have realized the patient was not there yet and as he was about leaving the emergency room, saw the patient being carried towards him. He suddenly got angry and asked why the nurse didn’t allow him to see the patient first before bringing him into the hospital.

He pointed at me, blaming me for this and then said I should get out of his sight which I did immediately, only for him to get angrier and ordered the patient to be taken out of the hospital as he was not ready to attend to him.

He came to me and told me to make sure the patient leaves the hospital berating me once more. I felt so bittered about the situation and told the patient to leave the hospital.

I left for the pharmacy with the hope that the patient’s relatives will source for means of leaving gradually only for the doctor to come in a few minutes later and dragged me into his office. I was shocked and tried to remove my hands from his hold but he was too fierce.

In his office, he told me to get down on my kneels (Kneel down) to which I declined as it was against the ethics of my profession to do that in uniform, he gave me the first hard slap and repeated his utterance, I refused and called my colleague for help.

I tried to get out of his office but he dragged me back and reached for his belt and started beating me until the security men and my colleague came and tried to hold him, he then made mention that I was rude and he’s not my age mate, I tried explaining to the security men what had happened but he didn’t allow me to speak out, he reached for the sphygmomanometer and was about hitting it on my head when the security man took it from his hand and another round of slaps on my cheeks continued, this time around, I fell on the ground he continued punching me.

My colleague who was an eye witness went on her knees and started pleading on my behalf but Dr Okolo never stopped beating me until he was satisfied.

Another Nurse working at that facility who doesn’t want her name in prints confirmed the incident, according to her, Dr Okolo is an aggressive man and can go to any length to deal with anybody whether patients or nurses.

I once had issue with him and he categorically said he was going to kill me and that nothing will happen, she said.

Another eye witness also confirmed the incident, according to her, this is not the first case of assault against Nurses in this hospital. A patient had beaten up a nurse in this hospital some months back and nothing was done by the management. The management doesn’t care about the nurses’ welfare, they treat us as second class citizens.

Immediately this issue happened, we notified the MD and his response was that he would look into the issue later as he’s not ready to sack the Dr for now, she said.

The severe shortage of nurses in South Africa is a “ticking time bomb” that requires urgent attention, said Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) in an interview with Xinhua.

Sibongiseni Delihlazo, national communication manager of Denosa, cited poor working conditions, inadequate resources and the burden of disease as contributing factors behind the shortage.

Denosa has issued a report, warning the healthcare industry is in an incredible dire state as nurses were moving abroad.

“The shortage of nurses will explode in our faces one day. For instance, one nurse in a Kimberly hospital was looking after 27 patients alone. It’s very frustrating for healthcare workers because their capacity is not resulting in the positive outcomes in terms of health for patients,” Delihlazo said.

While some believe the system was collapsing, Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi conceded that it was “very distressed” and “going through a hard time.”

“The system finds itself extremely overloaded. This has resulted in very long waiting times in most of the facilities and lowering of quality in others,” Motsoaledi said.

As a result of the worsening conditions, skilled midwives were no longer willing to remain working in maternity units.

“Very few nurses are willing to work in maternity wards. In Tembisa hospital in 2017, they advertised 24 midwifery positions, and only five people applied.

“The situation is frustrating and demoralising for nurses. Midwives are moving to other general wards. Midwifery is a serious challenge because you have babies and mothers that die in maternity wards,” Delihlazo said.

While the population was growing, institutions of higher learning were not producing enough nurses to deal with the challenge.

The closure of nursing colleges after 1994 has been blamed for the current shortage.

In his 2011 State of the Nation Address, the then President Jacob Zuma acknowledged the shortage and made an undertaking that 106 colleges would be re-opened to tackle the problem.

However, former president Zuma left office without delivering on the promise.

Responding to the issue, health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said: “the department is currently working on the ratios that will determine the required standards for the work loads of nurses and other health professionals.” – Xinhua