NMA STRIKE: The Need for Nurse Practitioners in Nigeria
I have finally decided to break my silence and join the fray of venom spiting medical and health professionals on nursingworldnigeria.com as the media war and propaganda continues,
This NMA STRIKE has once again brought to the fore the bitterness, repulsiveness and aggressive rivalry between NMA on the one hand and JOHESU on the other.
It is no longer news that the NMA has been on strike for over a week now for reasons i personally choose not to comment on. It is no longer news that the strike has crippled activities in the government hospital settings to a near standstill. What may not be news is the trend in developed countries to a breed of nurses called the "Nurse Practitioners (NPs)", I choose to call them "a doctors nightmare come true".
According to the website of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, NPs are quickly becoming the health partner of choice for millions of Americans.
Nurse Practitioners are clinicians that blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs bring a comprehensive perspective to health care.
These Nurse Practitioners Autonomously and in collaboration with health care professionals and other individuals, provide a full range of primary, acute and specialty health care services, including: Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays, Diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and injuries, Prescribing medications and other treatments, Managing patients' overall care, Counseling, Educating patients on disease prevention and positive health and lifestyle choices.
Take out "surgery" in the equation and you would see a striking similarity between the job description of a doctor and that of a Nurse Practitioner. While these services (Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays, Diagnosing and treating acute/chronic conditions, infections, and injuries, Prescribing medications) provided by Nurse Practitioners would sincerely scare the shit out of any Nigerian doctor, what would even be more scary is the fact that in the united states there is a proposal to expand the ability of Nurse Practitioners in addition to all of these listed above, to practice free of physician oversight.
In the united states, A 2010 Institute of Medicine report regarding the future of nursing practice recommended that scope of practice barriers be removed for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), along with recommendations to expand; standardize; and, streamline nursing education and integration in healthcare delivery.
As at 2013, Nurse Practitioners had the ability to provide a full range of medical care to patients without physician oversight in 20 states and Washington D.C. Other states require collaborative agreements between Nurse Practitioners and physicians to provide certain aspects of care (18 states), while others restrict care under supervision or delegation of a physician (12 states).
The NMA Strike has once again thrown to the fore front a challenge of care shortage especially at times like this. Sadly, the innocent citizens bear the brunt of death, exploitation in private hospitals owned by same NMA Folks and betrayal. The Nigerian health care system of care must begin to adapt and be modeled to challenges it faces especially in terms of consumer access to care at times like this NMA Strike.
Complimentary alternatives must be put in place to cushion the effects of another inevitable medical sector strike which i foresee as inevitable should the government succumb to the demands of the NMA at the peril of the demands of JOHESU.
The Nursing and midwifery council of Nigeria must live up to its responsibility of regulating the standards of Nursing/ Midwifery Education and Practice in Nigeria and develop a curriculum to guide a Nurse Practitioner trainging programs
It is evident that by providing high-quality care and counseling, Nurse Practitioners can lower the cost of health care for patients. Nurse Practitioners are more than just health care providers; they are mentors, educators, researchers, administrators and CONSULTANTS which the NMA so detest fully abhor!!
http://www.nursingworldnigeria.com/2014/07/nma-strike-the-need-for-nurse-practitioners-in-nigeria

You reason like a coccidiosis infested chicken.

The NP can perform all those range of functions you claimed yet the American health care system still attaches greater importance to the doctor by making him have the highest pay packet at the month's end.

Besides, is it our crop of ill- trained and severely depreciated nurses who are incapable of basic emergency drills that will be saddled with such humongous task ?

As I type, I am sitting on one of the empty beds in an FMC with your JOHESU ally lazing about and not a single patient in sight, if they were as cerebral as you want us to believe why are our hospitals devoid of patient traffic ?

I bet you will one day seek medical help at home or abroad sometime in your lifetime and please make sure one of your JOHESU ally attend to your health challenge.

Your involvement in this discourse with flawed and unsubstantiated but plagiarized materials has setback the dispassionate arguments by rational members of JOHESU .

I bet this is the ADVERSE EFFECT of free 10MB in the hands of a social miscreant.

This is democracy, anybody can say anything. For the OP you are just a frustrated person. Don't know why I wasted my time commenting on the post.

Everything shouldn't be about money my dear. Money is not all. It's the same rising cost of health care that brought about NPs. One of the reasons for the emergence of NP is to reduce the cost of health care, and that will not be achieved if they start charging like the physicians. Providing low cost care is their driving force, and that is why insurance companies are using them more than ever. Another reason why M.Ds do not want them, because competition brings about reduction in cost.
And really? you were sitting on a patient bed doing what? monitoring JOHESU or driving patient's away? All we need is for the law to give them the go ahead order. For now, nobody should go beyond what the law stipulated. I can't wait to see how NMA will react should Nigeria decides to introduce NP. The same ill-trained nurses as the Drs say are the ones now causing them sleepless nights in advanced countries. Just relax and watch
And like I said in one of the posts, I go to hospital for holistic care (Dr, nurse, lab scientist, Pharmacists) and not fragmented care. And for your info, My family members and I are already seeing NPs for our health needs. Not that we go to them on our own, but the insurance company chooses your health care provider for you. So yea, it's happening

I wonder why you have to sound so bitter by the idea of NP program that you have to resort to name calling? coccidiosis infested chicken really? lol. Who knows what your reaction will be when we finall introduce it.

matify:
You reason like a coccidiosis infested chicken.

The NP can perform all those range of functions you claimed yet the American health care system still attaches greater importance to the doctor by making him have the highest pay packet at the month's end.

Besides, is it our crop of ill- trained and severely depreciated nurses who are incapable of basic emergency drills that will be saddled with such humongous task ?

As I type, I am sitting on one of the empty beds in an FMC with your JOHESU ally lazing about and not a single patient in sight, if they were as cerebral as you want us to believe why are our hospitals devoid of patient traffic ?

I bet you will one day seek medical help at home or abroad sometime in your lifetime and please make sure one of your JOHESU ally attend to your health challenge.

Your involvement in this discourse with flawed and unsubstantiated but plagiarized materials has setback the dispassionate arguments by rational members of JOHESU .

I bet this is the ADVERSE EFFECT of free 10MB in the hands of a social miscreant.

True. We need more diagnosticians. We mostly need an organized health system where people are held liable for their malpractices and health workers are paid well enough for their responsibilities.

But before we have nurse practitioners, we need properly trained nurses who can become nurse practitioners.

And that starts with first knowing what your limits and responsibilitites are.

In Nigeria, every Tom, D|ck and Harry is prescribing medicines that they know nothing about without a diagnosis.

And the ill informed common man will be ever so grateful to these "self proclaimed Docs" without realizing how much harm they have been exposed to.

P.S. I only focused on Nurses because that is the matter at hand. But the poor training/education in Nigeria cuts across all sectors (including Docs) and is begining to be a major hazard.

ofcourse, we will have properly trained nurses. Atleast we now have Bnsc nurses who can go back to school to become Nps. We also have nurses who are trained in advanced country that can gladly help. Some states are sending a number of their nurses abroad for advanced training. and when the time comes, we will have capable hands.

ziga: True. We need more diagnosticians. We mostly need an organized health system where people are held liable for their malpractices and health workers are paid well enough for their responsibilities.

But before we have nurse practitioners, we need properly trained nurses who can become nurse practitioners.

And that starts with first knowing what your limits and responsibilitites are.

In Nigeria, every Tom, D|ck and Harry is prescribing medicines that they know nothing about without a diagnosis.

And the ill informed common man will be ever so grateful to these "self proclaimed Docs" without realizing how much harm they have been exposed to.

P.S. I only focused on Nurses because that is the matter at hand. But the poor training/education in Nigeria cuts across all sectors (including Docs) and is begining to be a major hazard.

prettyprettywow: ofcourse, we will have properly trained nurses. Atleast we now have Bnsc nurses who can go back to school to become Nps. We also have nurses who are trained in advanced country that can gladly help. Some states are sending a number of their nurses abroad for advanced training. and when the time comes, we will have capable hands.

It is not just about the training.

The health system is in a lot of trouble. There is no accountability and people do whatever they want.

And like somebody else said, even if the best Docs and Nurses are imported for developed countries, they will either succumb to the system or be forced to leave if they can't bear the pressure.

We are all responsible for this problem. Nobody is satisfied with their job description and everybody is trying to operate beyond their training and scope of practice at the expense of poor Nigerians.

The administrators havven't done anything to improve facilities and everybody is fighting to be the boss.

Take a look and you will see the appalling death rates.

NPs are a good idea, but will only worsen the competition and disorder, until the health care system is organized and people are forced to do only what they are qualified to do or face penalties.

you are right anyway. but the idea of one group always going on strike at the detriment of the public should be discouraged. No group should hold govt at ransome just because they think the are the alpha and omega. a little competition is healthy though. W all need attitudinal change.

ziga:

It is not just about the training.

The health system is in a lot of trouble. There is no accountability and people do whatever they want.

And like somebody else said, even if the best Docs and Nurses are imported for developed countries, they will either succumb to the system or be forced to leave if they can't bear the pressure.

We are all responsible for this problem. Nobody is satisfied with their job description and everybody is trying to operate beyond their training and scope of practice at the expense of poor Nigerians.

The administrators havven't done anything to improve facilities and everybody is fighting to be the boss.

Take a look and you will see the appalling death rates.

NPs are a good idea, but will only worsen the competition and disorder, until the health care system is organized and people are forced to do only what they are qualified to do or face penalties.

I have read about NPs. Arent they usually in areas where there are no doctors and practice under supervision.

prettyprettywow: you are right anyway. but the idea of one group always going on strike at the detriment of the public should be discouraged. No group should hold govt at ransome just because they think the are the alpha and omega. a little competition is healthy though. W all need attitudinal change.

The people who are actually most responsible are the FG.

Nigerian Docs are doing their job. And every worker has the right to down tools.

With the state of the health system, people are dying unnecessarily everyday even with Docs in the hospital.

Those are some of the issues that the Docs are fighting for. Unfortunately, the Nigerian govt has never negotiated with any group without there being some form of strike action. It is sad for things to resort to this, but when the FG holds everybody to ransome, what other options are left.

Competition is good. but should be between similar professions. Doc to Doc; Nurse to Nurse; NP to NP.

Competition across levels is never good and always yields bad results like what we have here. A Doc will never be a pharmacist, a nurese will never be a lab scientist/Doc and vice -versa. So there is no basis for competition between them.

Each state regulates their own. NP are fighting for independence, and so far, 20 states allow them to practice independently as written above, and the main aim is to reach under served population. NOTE that Drs are seriously fighting and lobbying against it as usual.

armadeo: I have read about NPs. Arent they usually in areas where there are no doctors and practice under supervision.

The main aim is accessibility of health care. It is already happening in other countries and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't happen in Nigeria. I accept that Govt is responsible for the whole thing, but when your demand is against another profession, then I believe the govt should do the right thing. Everybody wants what is good for the health sector. but when a group is blinded by greed and envy , then it's it's time to look for an alternative means of combating the suffering of the masses

ziga:

The people who are actually most responsible are the FG.

Nigerian Docs are doing their job. And every worker has the right to down tools.

With the state of the health system, people are dying unnecessarily everyday even with Docs in the hospital.

Those are some of the issues that the Docs are fighting for. Unfortunately, the Nigerian govt has never negotiated with any group without there being some form of strike action. It is sad for things to resort to this, but when the FG holds everybody to ransome, what other options are left.

Competition is good. but should be between similar professions. Doc to Doc; Nurse to Nurse; NP to NP.

Competition across levels is never good and always yields bad results like what we have here. A Doc will never be a pharmacist, a nurese will never be a lab scientist/Doc and vice -versa. So there is no basis for competition between them.

prettyprettywow: Each state regulates their own. NP are fighting for independence, and so far, 20 states allow them to practice independently as written above, and the main aim is to reach under served population. NOTE that Drs are seriously fighting and lobbying against it as usual.

The aim is to reach underserved population, OK.


As regards your other post concerning alternative means to combat the suffering of the masses care to explain.

@op...the level of your ignorance is astonishing ! Do you hate doctors this much ?
It is now clear that the basis for the crisis in the Nigerian health sector is the inordinate & inexplicable struggle for relevance of JOHESU members .
Well, if you do not know by virtue of your half-education ; Nurse Practitioner are allowed to carry out some procedures & practices in areas that are short of doctors or in the community setting . I bet you do not even understand the health system of those countries you ignorant want us to copy anyway !

Yes, we doctors are proud and un apologetically so ,especially when you know how good you are! ( am aware we have some weak colleagues just like in other professions )....

prettyprettywow: Each state regulates their own. NP are fighting for independence, and so far, 20 states allow them to practice independently as written above, and the main aim is to reach under served population. NOTE that Drs are seriously fighting and lobbying against it as usual.

A nurse is still a nurse whether nurse Practitioner or not. If you want to truly be a Doctor , go to a Medical school and stop causing unnecessary chaos in the society by creating doctor-wannabes !

matify:
You reason like a coccidiosis infested chicken.

The NP can perform all those range of functions you claimed yet the American health care system still attaches greater importance to the doctor by making him have the highest pay packet at the month's end.

Besides, is it our crop of ill- trained and severely depreciated nurses who are incapable of basic emergency drills that will be saddled with such humongous task ?

As I type, I am sitting on one of the empty beds in an FMC with your JOHESU ally lazing about and not a single patient in sight, if they were as cerebral as you want us to believe why are our hospitals devoid of patient traffic ?

I bet you will one day seek medical help at home or abroad sometime in your lifetime and please make sure one of your JOHESU ally attend to your health challenge.

Your involvement in this discourse with flawed and unsubstantiated but plagiarized materials has setback the dispassionate arguments by rational members of JOHESU .

I bet this is the ADVERSE EFFECT of free 10MB in the hands of a social miscreant.

This guy you are a genius !
Only God knows the slime-pit the OP crept out of with her impaired reasoning (in)ability !

lol. so much bitterness. pele

Oduduwaboy: @op...the level of your ignorance is astonishing ! Do you hate doctors this much ?
It is now clear that the basis for the crisis in the Nigerian health sector is the inordinate & inexplicable struggle for relevance of JOHESU members .
Well, if you do not know by virtue of your half-education ; Nurse Practitioner are allowed to carry out some procedures & practices in areas that are short of doctors or in the community setting . I bet you do not even understand the health system of those countries you ignorant want us to copy anyway !

Yes, we doctors are proud and un apologetically so ,especially when you know how good you are! ( am aware we have some weak colleagues just like in other professions )....

Oduduwaboy:
A nurse is still a nurse whether nurse Practitioner or not. If you want to truly be a Doctor , go to a Medical school and stop causing unnecessary chaos in the society by creating doctor-wannabes !

yea, jst like Dr. Paul Orhii wants to be a Pharmacist from the back door.
.

This