₦airaland Forum

It is now glaring obvious and can be forecasted that Nigerian hospitals would start experiencing shortage of Nursing personnel as early as 2022 as scores of Nurses are fleeing the country due to unfavorable working conditions and poor remuneration

Data obtained from the NCSBN website has shown an alarming trend in the number of Nigerian Nurses attempting the NCLEX Board exams.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is an independent, not-for-profit organization through which nursing regulatory bodies in the United States develop nursing licensure examinations (NCLEX). The new quarterly examination statistics update by the NCSBN lists the top five countries of nurses educated outside the U.S, taking the NCLEX examination for the first time in hopes of obtaining nursing licensure and employment in the U.S. You would recall that passing the NCLEX is the final step in the U.S nurse licensure process and this NCSBN update provides the most recent information on the NCLEX testing volume and the associated pass rates.

SEE NCLEX TEST STATISTICS BELOW

According to the NCSBN figures obtained by Jude chiedu of Nursingworld, 623 Nigerian nurses have written the exams since January thru September 2019. Data for July - September 2019 ranks Nigeria 3rd with 242 nurses who wrote the NCLEX Board exams, only topped by Philippines and India with 3174 and 395 candidates respectively.

This is a far leap from fifth position Nigerian candidates maintained between Jan - March (181) and April - June (200).

The NCSBN data also showed that a total of 29,494 internationally educated Nurses have written the NCLEX so far in 2019 with a pass rate of 38.4%

Responding to the reason for this upward trend, Nurse Chioma Anozie attributed the exodus of immigration to the hostile and appalling working conditions in the country in addition to poor remunerations. She charged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for nurses to stem the tide noting that the impending shortage of nurses would take a toll on the gains made in fighting maternal mortality and also encourage unregulated practice by quacks in a bid to fill the void created by nurses escaping Nigeria

Jude Chiedu
Nursingworld Nigeria

Pearson VUE delivers NCLEX licensure examination for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the United States of America

Over the years, Nurses have had to make the long trip to India and Philippines to write the NCLEX exams to enable them practice and emigrate to the U.S.A

Nurses can now heave a sigh of relief as a representative of Pearson has confirmed to Nursingworld that the NCLEX exams will be delivered at a Pearson professional center in Southafrica with registrations for this new center starting in January 2020

The test center address is located at:
6th Floor Office Tower
Sandton City Shopping Centre
Cnr Sandton Drive & Alice lane, SANDTON
Johannesburg, 2146
[img][/img]
In a swift reaction to this new development, Nurses who spoke to Jude Chiedu of Nursingworld expressed dismay at Pearson for not approving the test center in Nigeria. Majority of them cited the recent xenophobia attacks in South africa.

A nurse who asked to remain anonymous noted that she works with an oil and gas firm yet the South African embassy denied her visa to go for an ISQUA conference in Jobourg, so what’s the assurance that they would issue nurses visa to S.A just to go write NCLEX, she asked. Again one has to consider that most nurses may not have a good travel history as in visits outside of Nigeria and this would count against them in any visa application to visit south Africa

However there is cautious optimism as other nurses expressed joy at the South African center approval insisting that it’s a shorter journey and a lot cheaper to fly to S.A than to Philippines or India

JUDE CHIEDU FWACN
For: Nursingworld Nigeria

I had lofty dreams of living a fulfilled live and having kids. My fiancée and i had fixed our traditional marriage for October, I was two months pregnant.

My name is Justina Ejelonu and this is my story.
[b][/b]
I was ecstatic when i secured a job at first consultant hospital in Lagos. On the day i was to resume officially, I was reluctant since i had started experiencing morning sickness. I finally got myself together and resumed on the 21st of July.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, my first patient was a Liberian senior diplomat named Patrick sawyer. A 40 year old man with complaints of fever, headache, extreme weakness and haemorrhagic symptoms. Patrick died on Friday the 25th of July, it took the joint collaboration of the state, federal and international agencies to confirm he died from the Ebola virus (zaire strain). Our hospital was temporarily shut down.

On the 25th of July, i updated my facebook wall and wrote "Friends, thank God for me o. i had a close contact with the first Ebola case in Nigeria..:.Long story cut short, God saved me dearly. join me in thanking God". The next day i posted this update on my facebook wall ""Friends,up to our uniforms and all linens were burnt off. We are on surveillance and off work till 11th.

Our samples have long been taken by WHO and so far we have been fine. For me, kudos to my hospital management because we work professionally with every patient considered risk because that's the training. Had it been its a hospital where they manage risky patients with ordinary gloves like Government hospitals and some supporter of APC private hospital..:lol....wahala for dey o. I must also thank Lagos Govt....infact! Even federal govt self....all have been supportive. I'm good and so are the others in the hospital....."

Dr Adadeveoh and Dr Ohiaeri jointly released a press statement thanking the hospital staff for our diligence and professionalism. What was to follow became a national nightmare!

The anxiety awaiting our test results was heart wrenching, Yes, i checked his vitals, helped him with his food (he was too weak)..i basically touched where his hands touched and that was the only contact. Not directly with his fluids. At a stage, he yanked off his infusion and we had blood everywhere on his bed.. but the ward maids took care of that and changed his linens with great precaution"

Days went by and i began to feel feverish, it persisted at a very high temperature. By the 14th of july, My test result was out. It was positive for Ebola. I was devastated and heartbroken. By then, i had started stooling and vomiting. All of a sudden, I started bleeding per vagina. I cried because i knew i may have lost the pregnancy.

Dennis my fiancée got a cab and we rushed to first consultant. We were referred to IGH, yaba. In panic, i disembarked the taxi and laid on the floor for over 30 minutes begging for attention and screaming "I was dying", The bleeding had become profuse.

At the quarantine center, Even when the bleeding subsided, I waited in vain for the doctors to carry out an evacuation. They never came. They insisted that an evacuation was too risky as my viral load was high. I was left at the mercy of God to complications as a result of retained products of conception. If Ebola didnt kill me, sepsis surely would

The stooling and vomiting persisted, I was dehydrated and extremely weak. My abdomen was bloated and my legs swollen. The fever caused excessive diaphoresis and fluid loss. nobody dared touch me, i was left on top of my excretions in soiled and over soaked pampers on soiled beddings, We were quarantined at the mainland hospital yaba where there was no water hence we had not had our bath since the day before, I was hypoxic but no provision of oxygen was made. It seemed we were dumped there to die with little care and separated in two groups with one group in rooms called VIP while myself and some other victims were in the ward.

At some point I had messed myself up, Dennis put his life on the line and looked for water to clean me up, change my pampers and arrange my bedding. I was shivering. I knew the end was near, I didn't deserve to die in such an undignified manner.

On a Sunday morning, As i lay dying, I understood the reason and purpose for my life, my fears slipped away, I was at peace with my country Nigeria, I forgave sawyer, I didn't hold any grudge against my colleagues in the medical field who deserted me, I was finally at peace.

I felt God hold me in the hollow of his hands. I went to be with the Lord.

As a proud Nurse, I had paid the ultimate price in service to humanity and my country.

(this article by Nurse Jude Chiedu is a compilation and reconstruction of witness statement, interviews and phone calls culled from nursinworldnigeria.com)

It's 40 years after the Alma-Ata declaration by the World Health Organization leading to the birth of Primary Health Care worldwide.

WHO will be meeting again in October this year to make a review of the program and a new declaration is expected. WHO has therefore call for comments from all health workers, government, patients etc to shape the next PHC declaration.

This is an opportunity for all health care providers to once again to take their place back and make their opinion count at PHC.

All are to go to WHO website and drop their contributions asap.

For more information check: https:///2HmsiiS

THE TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY COMRADE NURSE ABDRAFIU ALANI ADENIJI ON THE ON-GOING INDUSRIAL ACTION BY JOHESU ON 21ST APRIL 2018 AT NANNM SECRETARIAT ABEOKUTA. OGUN STATE

Protocol; Gentlemen of the press, we welcome you all to this very important press briefing as regard the on-going industrial action by Joint Health Sector Union ( JOHESU ).

The purpose is to put the records in the right perspective and also to educate the general populace of the happenings in the health sector. We will recall that JOHESU which is the coming together of five (5) Registered Trade Unions and Professional Association has commenced nationwide indefinite industrial action since mid-night of Tuesday 17th April, 2018.

National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NAININM) has totally agreed and directed all our members at Federal Health institutions to totally abide by the directive.

And by this note, to put our members at States and Local Government on RED ALERT to join the strike provided the government failed to do the needful. It is important to remind our self about the bone of contention.

It may interest you to know that the lingering crises dated back since 2012, some of our demands include the following;

• Improve health care financing
• Infrastructural developments and improved supply of equipment and working conditions in our health institutions
• Arrears of skipping of CONHESS 10
• Employment of Additional Health professionals
• Implementation of court judgements and gazette government circular
• The upward adjustment of CONHESS
• Upward review of retirement Age from 60 - 65

It is no more a news, but it remains astonishing that any reasonable Nigeria citizen will be using denial as mental mechanism to underrate the impact of JOHESU STRIKE.

A lot of name calling, opposition. aggression. are being witnessed especially from the same group who have instigated the precarious situation that warrant the strike action.

We are pained that all the proactiveness and measures undertaking by JOHESU, a combination of responsible and registered trade union bodies were badly mismanaged by the federal ministry of health which is today rechristened MINISTRY OF HELL.

Personal aggrandizement and egocentrism and lack of love for the system that is feeding them. No wonder the show of shame of calling for privatization of the health sector which we the JOHESU members especially the NURSES AND MIDWIVES in Nigeria are saying NO to.

One wonders if you base enterprises to manage and you are calling for privatization of that sector, IS IT NOT AN ADMITTANCE OF FAILURE?

On behalf of the leadership of NANNM and JOHESU in general, I commend the entire affiliate union Association, and individual members for effective compliance and commitment to the struggle for emancipation from serfdom into freedom and from injustice and fowl play in health sector in Nigeria to social justice and equity

On the other hand we are constrained to announce and persistently defend our course of action for gong on strike to care givers. As well known, health sector is more of service delivery.

We appeal to the masses to remain patient and bear with us as this stage is inevitable one that is aimed at imposing the smooth running of healthcare delivery to the masses with availability, accessiblity and a highly safe and qualitative healthcare system.
We know that an increase in Nigeria life expectancy from 47 to 49 years for males and females respectively will be an advantage to all of us. The increase in healthcare financing, the non privatization of healthcare sector in Nigeria, increase in assurance for quality and safe healthcare services will be an advantage to all. Now it may tantamount to pain, but the gain is insight.

We are not unaware that our counterpart in healthcare profession has contributed in increasing your hardship by playing the devil incarnate and not allowing you to be discharged home, leaving in fool's haven by deceiving you all that they can handle the situation. not minding the JOHESU members being on strike.

They have done this wickedly and against the ethics and international best practices to assume jack of all trade that is becoming master of none.

It is evident in our healthcare services outcome in the committee of nations where Nigeria. the big brother of Africa, most populous black nation, endowed country with abundant resources (human and capital), yet greatly mismanaged They have persistently made the nation to belief healthcare service is all about Medicare. The trend that has made us to misuse our resources, if not, what is malaria treatment looking for in teaching/tertiary hospitals.

LEGALITY OF JOHESU STRIKE
The trade union act, and all the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria recognises that any group that is registered as a trade union in Nigeria base the rights to declare trade dispute with the government.

For the avoidance of doubt JOHESU is composed of 5 duly registered trade unions viz;
I. Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN)
2. National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)
3. Senior Staff Association of Universities. Teaching Hospitals. Research institutes and Ascot-dried Institutions (SSAUTHRIAD)
4. Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP)
5. Non Academics Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU)

JOHESU has been in negotiation with the government, using service to humanity as a principal focus. Unfortunately the people surrounding the federal government are the same people who have caused the avoidable industnal disharmony' in Nigeria health sector.

The crop of Doctors we have in Nigeria has abandoned stethoscope with Hippocratic Oath to pure business and politicking trading with the fortune of the entire health service of Nigeria.

They have consistently mismanaged the health sector in Nigeria from 4th position within the committee of commonwealth nation to the worst situation where we are ranking 187 out of 190 in World Health System.

Nigerian Doctor always quote international best practices Canadian physicians recently rejected upward review of salary and emonulment and protest in favour of other healthcare workers.

The sequence
> Strike action in 2014
> Strike action in 2017
> Various court judgement
> Memorandum and term of agreement in September 2017
> Government concession to implement 15 weeks
> 4months thereafter, 21 days ultimatum
> 6months after, 30 working days

Nigerians, we have fulfilled all conditions of legalities to embark on strike. BLAME THE MINISTER whose ministry is on fire. and chose international engagement with impunity.

Nigerians, we hase not called for his removal yet but judge if this kind of personality will solve the problem of Nigeria health Sector

PARITY AND DISPARITY IN HEALTH SECTOR
It remained unchanged the professionalism in a multidisciplinary sector like federal ministry of health. Every healthcare professional were trained and educated for the service to be rendered. Nurses. Pharmacist. Physiotherapist. Lab scientist all spent 5 years for basic university education while medicine is 6 years

Before 1973 Udoji Award. all public servants earn same salary with difference in allowances, while medics enter on Grade Level GL09. others on grade Level GL08

Today judge who is being cheated and where disparity lies.

Medics entry point is opus item to GL12 others remain GL09 for extra one year in the university now accounts for 9 years moratorium for others to work and if there is vacancy, get to the entry point where medical doctors must have entered, left and towers above others.

Because of their advantageous position, since 1980, they have corruptly enriched themselves and they have all evade facing the wroth of EFCC waiting for the day of Judgement.

Salaries of medics base been adjusted twice since 2010 and currently in January 2018. are another adjustment in their salary which has been approved and the circular is currently in circulation. Where lies injustice, and disparity?

For the avoidance of doubt all JOHESU is asking for is EQUITY, social Justice and not EQUALITY.

However, we have to sound note of warning that though their members are in high ranking position in government, using the confidence and trust impose upon than to corruptly enrich their members perverting cause of justice, and igniting crises. pandemonium and disharmony in health sectors, They are not our employers, thinking that any position they are occupying we are all employees of a single body, the Federal Government of Nigeria George o' well animal farm should not be the order of the day again.

SKIPPING
While Nigeria Doctors were against skipping and hire lawyers to support non-skipping which the JOHESU won.

They also use their position as chief executives of Federal institution and they illegally implemented skipping for their members. while the legal beneficiaries are still being deprived. For anybody that may want to join the detractors should add this form of injustice before you conclude.

UNIFIED SCHEME OF SERVICE
During this struggle, the federal government agreed to work on federal government to ensure full implementation of the product of Nurses' struggle for 4 decades which resorted into IAP AWARD of 1981, court judgement of 2010 and 2012 and above all the National council of Establishment approval of 2016 where

. internship for Nurses was approved
. Lateral conversion approved
. And unified scheme of service approved

That abolished superintendent/matron cadre and nomenclature to enthrone the fact that all nurses trained and certified are Nursing Officers. We appreciate some state governments and federal health institutions that has adopted and implemented the circular. Using this auspicious opportunity to urge ogun state government as well as other states and all parastatals and agencies that are yet it adopt to without further delay adopt the scheme by recognizing all cadre of Nursing as Officer, effect lateral conversion and apply it appropriately for all deserved officers as well as employ Nurse Interns in our health services.

In conclusion, we are using this medium to call on well-meaning Nigerian to prevail on the federal government to urge the federal ministry of health to depart from their antics of begging the issue and face reality. We should all make the federal minister of federal republic of poor Nigerian in health ministry to break his business abroad and come back to address and quench the fire he has lighted before the rest fabrics of the Nigerian health sector is burnt into ashes. Instead of the ministry addressing the issue, the Director of hospital services is busy issuing a God forsaking circular to include:

• No work no pay
• Opening of register
• Appointment of locum staff
• Involvement of security personnel

We are not deterred, NO FEAR, NO APPREHENSION, OUR VICTORY IS CERTAINED
Our members are resolute and determined to press home OUR demands We also wish to charge our friends in the media to do independent and on-spot assessment of the effectiveness of the strike as Federal ministry of health has proved their incompetence to be a good umpire

Circular DHS/166/12 of 20/04/2018 is an indication and admittance of failure but resulting for a call to anarchy.

Signed:
Nurse ABDRAFIU ADENIJI
National President (NANNM)
National Association of Nigeria Nurses & Midwives

While being spat at, insulted or beaten up at work sounds like a matter for your facilities HR, its not the same if you work in a mental health facility. Dealing with the fall-out of your various patients’ mental illness and frequent threats of verbal or physical abuse is just part of the day to day factors of the job where you are underappreciated, under paid and over looked.

Here, a mental health nurse tells the story of how her male colleague was assaulted by a patient.

He appeared calm though his nurse knew he was always temperamental, unpredictable and could become physically aggressive at any moment. Next thing we knew, within the twinkling of eye the worst experience any healthcare provider would ever have happened, the patient was physically assaulting his male nurse and it seemed with the intent of committing homicide.

This wasn't a slap kind of assault, this was more like the WWE kind of slap!! He picked up his nurse, raised him high, slammed him against the wall and began to rain down terrible punches on him.

Surprisingly the relatives of the patient who brought him to our facility for admission ran away in fear.

My colleague was in the jaws of death with nobody coming to his aid, help was several meters away and i guess he knew that if he was to live to tell this story he would have to fight for his life!!

We watched him struggle to free himself from the hands of this extremely violent patient but the patient wouldn't let go of him. He was knocked against the edges of beds and the walls with brute force.

He sustained injuries in those few minutes but he held on and continued to fight for his life with the hope that help was on the way from his other colleagues.

He was eventually able to break free and run for his life with us leading the way though the patient was hot on his heel.

The patient was eventually overpowered and sedated but before that happened, two nurses were already down with injuries.

Let me inform you at this point that our monthly hazard allowance is N5000 about $15.89.

That's N5,000k to get disabled for life or be killed in the line of duty while our heads of departments and CMD's do not seem to find anything wrong with this...

Despite the constant hazards we face while at work, my colleagues and I still put on our best smile while discharging our duties daily as psychiatric nurses.

#TravailsOfPsychiatricNurses
#ProudlyAPsychiatricNurse

sweettease:
For the Healthcare professionals, what I find odd is that accidents and emergency nurses are still required to present this for certain jobs after a specialization course, their whole course revolves around this and more, yet they'll ask them for it most times.

Yes, because they realize that everyday there are new changes made and new discoveries added in each and every field. In developed countries and developing ones you have to know that what you learnt as an A&E nurse 5/10 years ago would not be the same today, a few tweaks and changes would have occurred.

Take an example with the American Heart Association BLS, prior to 2010 the sequence was ABC, from 2010 to 2015 it was switched to CAB, this s 2017 and you can still find some individuals who state that the correct sequence is ABC "from what i was taught in school...". Really its your choice to update yourself if you want to grow

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and is an emergency procedure combining rescue breathing and chest compressions in an effort to reverse cardiac arrest. CPR is a method to reactivate the heart in pumping blood through the body. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not likely to restart the heart, its purpose is to generate oxygenated blood to vital organs, most importantly the brain.

If cardiopulmonary resuscitation is successful, it provides temporary relief to vital organs and body parts, thereby decreasing the likelihood of brain damage or death.

Effectiveness
In general, CPR is only effective on a victim of cardiac arrest if commenced within 6-7 minutes after cessation of blood flow through the body. It is important for members of the community to become certified in order to perform the chest compression and mouth-to-mouth techniques in case of an emergency. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not always effective, it buys time before you get to the hospital for healthcare professionals to perform electric shock defibrillation on the heart.

The American Heart Association adopted its newest cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines in 2015. Statistics published by the AHA(American Heart Association) indicate that cardiopulmonary resuscitation delivered to victims within the first 3-5 minutes of collapse drastically increases survival rates. Survival rates increase up to 25% when victims receive bystander CPR and paramedic defibrillation.

Why It Matters to You (Non Healthcare Practitioners)
Learning CPR can save lives. People die every day from cardiac arrest and many other causes because family members, friends, and bystanders don't know how to respond effectively in order to reactive blood flow to prevent brain damage or death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is easy to learn, and classes are available in most states in Nigeria to instruct people how to deal with cardiac arrest and/or ceased breathing. Simple maneuvers, such as chest compressions of about 100 per minute and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (where the emergency assistant simply breathes small amounts of air into the victim's mouth), can aid in saving in many lives.

Inconveniently, most people’s hearts don’t wait to get into hospital before they arrest. While bystanders or family embers shout "Carry him/her to the hospital", the person’s chances of survival fall by 10% a minute. The British Heart Foundation says that only one in 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital will survive. Those who do make it risk brain injury through oxygen deprivation.

Emergency response steps in cases of cardiac arrest:

1. Call for an ambulance immediately or shout for help.
2. Perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation incrementally).
3. When the ambulance or help arrives, provide them with necessary information regarding the time period since the collapse or cardiac arrest and actions taken between the time they were called and arrival.

Learning CPR is a simple way to save a life. It offers immediate emergency assistance during the critical first few minutes after breathing has ceased. Just by administering CPR, one can prevent brain damage due to lack of oxygen until help arrives, thus possibly ensuring not only the survival of the victim but their return to a normal life.

For Healthcare Professionals (Doctors, Nurses and Others)
In the world of CPR/BLS we have those who think that CPR and BLS trainings are a good idea and everyone should get it and we have those who hate such trainings and only do it because it is required. The people who think it is a good idea rarely, if ever, get the actual training. And those who hate the training, but are required in order to work, always get certified and recertified. Is this some kind of joke, irony, hard to explain and mysterious phenomenon to all, or is it simply the world of regulated compliance?

I say it is all about compliance with only a small percentage learning CPR/BLS because it is the "right thing to do." Let me explain. When people ask me if they should get CPR/BLS certified, I immediately say yes and ask them, "Do you need to get CPR/BLS certification for work, or is it something you simply want to do?" If the person tells me that they want to know more about how to help when a child is choking or if someone they know has a heart attack, I respond with the following:

"I believe everyone should know how to provide the basic life saving skills associated with CPR/BLS."

On the other hand are the medical offices, hospitals, general workplace locations, etc., who are mandated to take the training and certification by either AHA, ASHI, OSHA, Joint Commission, or some other License requirement. These individuals go into the training kicking and screaming, but they almost always follow through with the CPR/BLS course completion. Why is this? Because they have to in order to work, make money, and maintain the lifestyle they are striving for.

You see, it would be nice if we didn't have to mandate that people do things just to get them to do it. But unfortunately, we do.

So there is the long and the short of it. CPR certification is required because if it weren't, no one would get the training. If no one got the training, very few people would be able to help when someone goes into a life threatening condition.

So, out of all the things we are required to do by our professions ethics, let's be thankful that this one pays fringe benefits for friends and loved ones.

While you download that music video, movie or tune, take a little time and search for BLS or CPR trainings done in Nigeria. It might end up saving your life or the lives of your loved ones[i][/i]

Any Questions?

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and is an emergency procedure combining rescue breathing and chest compressions in an effort to reverse cardiac arrest. CPR is a method to reactivate the heart in pumping blood through the body. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not likely to restart the heart, its purpose is to generate oxygenated blood to vital organs, most importantly the brain.

If cardiopulmonary resuscitation is successful, it provides temporary relief to vital organs and body parts, thereby decreasing the likelihood of brain damage or death.

Effectiveness
In general, CPR is only effective on a victim of cardiac arrest if commenced within 6-7 minutes after cessation of blood flow through the body. It is important for members of the community to become certified in order to perform the chest compression and mouth-to-mouth techniques in case of an emergency. While cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not always effective, it buys time before you get to the hospital for healthcare professionals to perform electric shock defibrillation on the heart.

The American Heart Association adopted its newest cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines in 2015. Statistics published by the AHA(American Heart Association) indicate that cardiopulmonary resuscitation delivered to victims within the first 3-5 minutes of collapse drastically increases survival rates. Survival rates increase up to 25% when victims receive bystander CPR and paramedic defibrillation.

Why It Matters to You (Non Healthcare Practitioners)
Learning CPR can save lives. People die every day from cardiac arrest and many other causes because family members, friends, and bystanders don't know how to respond effectively in order to reactive blood flow to prevent brain damage or death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is easy to learn, and classes are available in most states in Nigeria to instruct people how to deal with cardiac arrest and/or ceased breathing. Simple maneuvers, such as chest compressions of about 100 per minute and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (where the emergency assistant simply breathes small amounts of air into the victim's mouth), can aid in saving in many lives.

Inconveniently, most people’s hearts don’t wait to get into hospital before they arrest. While bystanders or family embers shout "Carry him/her to the hospital", the person’s chances of survival fall by 10% a minute. The British Heart Foundation says that only one in 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital will survive. Those who do make it risk brain injury through oxygen deprivation.

Emergency response steps in cases of cardiac arrest:

1. Call for an ambulance immediately or shout for help.
2. Perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation incrementally).
3. When the ambulance or help arrives, provide them with necessary information regarding the time period since the collapse or cardiac arrest and actions taken between the time they were called and arrival.

Learning CPR is a simple way to save a life. It offers immediate emergency assistance during the critical first few minutes after breathing has ceased. Just by administering CPR, one can prevent brain damage due to lack of oxygen until help arrives, thus possibly ensuring not only the survival of the victim but their return to a normal life.

For Healthcare Professionals (Doctors, Nurses and Others)
In the world of CPR/BLS we have those who think that CPR and BLS trainings are a good idea and everyone should get it and we have those who hate such trainings and only do it because it is required. The people who think it is a good idea rarely, if ever, get the actual training. And those who hate the training, but are required in order to work, always get certified and recertified. Is this some kind of joke, irony, hard to explain and mysterious phenomenon to all, or is it simply the world of regulated compliance?

I say it is all about compliance with only a small percentage learning CPR/BLS because it is the "right thing to do." Let me explain. When people ask me if they should get CPR/BLS certified, I immediately say yes and ask them, "Do you need to get CPR/BLS certification for work, or is it something you simply want to do?" If the person tells me that they want to know more about how to help when a child is choking or if someone they know has a heart attack, I respond with the following:

"I believe everyone should know how to provide the basic life saving skills associated with CPR/BLS."

On the other hand are the medical offices, hospitals, general workplace locations, etc., who are mandated to take the training and certification by either AHA, ASHI, OSHA, Joint Commission, or some other License requirement. These individuals go into the training kicking and screaming, but they almost always follow through with the CPR/BLS course completion. Why is this? Because they have to in order to work, make money, and maintain the lifestyle they are striving for.

You see, it would be nice if we didn't have to mandate that people do things just to get them to do it. But unfortunately, we do.

So there is the long and the short of it. CPR certification is required because if it weren't, no one would get the training. If no one got the training, very few people would be able to help when someone goes into a life threatening condition.

So, out of all the things we are required to do by our professions ethics, let's be thankful that this one pays fringe benefits for friends and loved ones.

While you download that music video, movie or tune, take a little time and search for BLS or CPR trainings done in Nigeria. It might end up saving your life or the lives of your loved ones[i][/i]

Any Questions?

The Ogun State NANNM chairperson Comrade Solarin Roseline Funmilayo led members of her cabinet and the Nigerian Police to close down Capricon Medical Center in Akute, a boarder town between Lagos and Ogun State for training auxiliary nurses.

It was reported that Comrade Solarin had became irked by the increasing training of quacks by private health facilities who later turned out to give nurses a bad public reputation as most Nigerians find it difficult to differentiate between a Registered Nurse and a quack.

Capricon Medical Center was tracked down after pictures taken from the graduation ceremony of an auxiliary nurse were shared online which later got it way to the hand of the Ogun State NANNM chairperson.

Aside the founder that was arrested, no auxiliary nurse was arrested as those who were at the facility at the time of the crackdown wore plain clothing.

Id say this is a warning to all those hospitals that train and use quacks dressed in white. Let us all remember that these doctors who use these quacks would never treat their kids in their own hospitals but send them to another more qualified facility...

Here is the video of the arrest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltcwpju3IHs

In a bid to set the records straight and redeem the reputation of Nigerian Nurses, a source who has chosen to remain annonymous has disclosed what actually transpired at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos.

You would recall that last week, the PUNCH Newspaper had published an article titled "Maternal Tragedy: Mother, child die looking for doctors". In this article, PUNCH Newspaper had maliciously defamed and callously painted "black, incompetent and unprofessional; the Nurses who work at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Egbeda.

In a swift reaction, a nurse jude chiedu had written an article in solidarity with our colleagues at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Center. He also condemned the article by the PUNCH as lacking a factual balance in its reporting.

In a volte-face and confirmation of threat of legal action against PUNCH Newspaper, the page has been removed. The article no longer exists on the punch website as the link to the offending publication /1WBuiDR doesnt open again.

The fact that PUNCH Newspaper has taken down the offensive and derogatory publication is a confirmation to the info by our source that the LCDA has initiated a legal redress against punch as the story was not investigated at either the PHC or council. According to our source, the Ministry of Health is on the case.

Here is what actually transpired according to an unnamed source to NursingworldNigeria.com

The woman was a booked case of the PHC but she went to deliver in a church where she was mismanaged. The church apparently had no facility to cope with Emergency obstetric care (EmOC).

The baby was dead on arrival at the PHC.

The woman had 2nd degree tear and was bleeding. The Nursing officer stitched her up and set up an I.V. line.

She applied anti shock garment and used her vehicle to take her to Igando General Hosptial as the Ambullance was faulty and recently repaired when the story broke out.

At the GH, they didn't want to admit her but the Nurse visited the Apex who prevailed on others to create a bed space for her.

They put up a second IV line at the GH and commenced her management while her blood was collected for confirmation of her grouping and cross matching.

She was treated for shock.

The Nurse even paid for some of the initial treatment requested for at the GH since the husband said he has no money on him.

The woman was still alive before the Nurse left, but the fact is that she had already lost a lot of blood.

Nursingworld sincerely appreciates this source for sharing this information and we promise to bring our readers more details as the case unfolds. We commend the LCDA for taking the fight to redeem our public image which the news media has consistently dented and rubbished.

Today I woke up to the above screaming headline by Bukola Adebayo of the PUNCH Newspaper. At first glance, the one-sided article reeked of prejudice and malicious intent. At no point did Bukola attempt to separate facts from conjecture and comment in the entirety of her write up. If Bukola could take time to speak with the bereaved, what would it cost her to talk to at least one nurse at the health center and hear their own side of the story? what happened to Factual, accurate, balanced and fair reporting? While my heart goes out to the family of the deceased, one cannot but speak up in condemnation at the persistent attacks on the Nursing profession by the “ungentlemen”of the press.

I am really scared that another nurse is about to be sacrificed. Another scapegoating waiting to happen. How often have we been accused of negligence and malpractices in an environment that abhors proficiency? How can we give our best when the enabling environment is lacking.

Few weeks ago, it was the nurses at UPTH crucified unjustly. You would recall that after the protest on the death of a UNIPORT Student, Prof. Aaron Ojule, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UPTH invited the press and exonerated the hospital from the allegation of the death of the uniport undergraduate and was quoted as saying "They came here and we told them there was no space at the time they came and when the lady died, they said it was UPTH that killed her. We have always told the people that UPTH is over-subscribed. The students have alleged that we killed her, but we have no hand in her death". Yet, two nurses who were on duty that day are currently on suspension for three months without pay while waiting for the approval of the Ministry of Health on their sack.

Incidentally, the likes of Bukola have turned blind to the fiasco playing out at UPTH, they have suddenly lost their voice to the fact that the recommendations of the panel to sack two nurses who were on duty that day contradicts the earlier stance of the CMD exonerating UPTH. Totally ironic!

Now, the same scenario is about to be replayed at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos.

According to busola's article titled “Mother, Child Die Looking for Doctors”, Omowumi Shonuga was rushed to the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre after her water had broken. In an attempt to make the health workers look bad, Busola made a huge meal of the fact that the gates where locked at 5am. She made no attempt to highlight the fact that there was no security guard in a government establishment with two female nurses on duty. I bet Busola would not agree to spend a night at the health center with the gates open at the risk of rape and robbery. It is pertinent that the public understands that considering the security situation in the country, hospital gates are locked at night to perverts, not to patients.

According to the deceased's husband "After a while a woman came out and said there was no doctor to attend to me, that I should take her to the Igando General Hospital". The public must refuse to believe the pictures the press paint about nurses and begin to take nurses at their words. PHCs work on a model of a 2-way referral system, thus time and the patient’s life would have been saved if the patient was evacuated to the General hospital as advised by the nurses. Some may argue that they should have at least given first aid care, but why waste precious time moving the patient back and forth knowing you can do so little. I can say for a fact that no nurse would be left to man a night shift if she doesn’t possess the requisite experience, competency and expertise. Nurses are the custodians of the hospital, they know their strength and limitations.

The deceased's husband was quoted as saying "it is impossible for a doctor not to be on duty in a hospital as big as this". Sadly, this is the glaring reality of our primary health care centers. These primary health centers have suffered years of government neglect and have become death traps.

Majority cannot boast of a medical doctor nor community health officer. Most lack adequate water and power supply as well as adequate sanitary toilet facilities. Majority of them lack basic equipment with no existent maintenance plan to service the available once. None can boast of 24hour Ambulance service or laboratory services. Is the nurse to be blamed for all these management ineptitudes? A situation where only two nurses are left to man an entire hospital is just not right?

Mr shonuga pleaded for a stretcher to move his wife, but the nurses said they didn’t have one. He asked for an ambulance to take her away but the nurses said they didn’t have the keys. These are pointers to the decadence at these health centers, where a simple stretcher or 24 hour ambulance service is a luxury. Everyone makes it sound so easy, but one must ask what provisions and policiies the management has in terms of patient referrals. Are the PHC ambulances expected to medevac all emergency referrals and at whose cost? Only those who work in the public sector know the answer to this question is painfully NO. It is practically not feasible considering the multiple cases the PHCs handle and the attendant cost implications.

It is beats my imagination that Mr shonuga accused the nurses of refusing to touch his wife, yet they allowed him carry her upstairs where they began stitching her cut.

These nurses are midwives for crying out loud and one can only imagine what obstetric clinical presentations was so daunting in this case that the nurses would not want to "touch his wife". I know my colleagues and beg to disagree; it’s just sad that they would never get a chance to say what really transpired that early morning.

Mr shonuga was directed to go and buy some injections and drugs that would stop the bleeding. This is totally absurd, isn’t the hospital management supposed to make provision for emergency drug store for use during emergencies like this? Is the nurse also expected to buy and stock these drugs too?

Sadly, after so much time was lost, the doctor arrived and still said the same thing the nurses said right from the beginning "take her to Igando general hospital, we cannot handle it". There is a reason we have specialist and tertiary hospitals. If the nurse says it is blue, trust me it finally turns out to be blue. The nurses at the health center exhibited a high level index of suspicion and were apt to determine early that the case was above their capacity. This deserves some recommendation to say the least.

Mrs Deola Salako the director of information at the ministry of heatlh had this to say: "an investigative panel has been set up and any one found to have contributed to the deaths would be sanctioned". Am pretty sure what she meant was "any NURSE found to be on duty that day would be SCAPEGOATED!

It is obvious that these panels are by no means investigative as they are by composition structured to target and capture a sacrificial nurse with the sole intention of appeasing the public and deflecting the searchlight from the decay and wroth in the health sector.

Like I have always written the likes of Bukola should channel her journalistic skills to highlighting the need for increased political will in the health sector. She should use her column in the PUNCH Newspaper to demand for increased funding/ intersectoral collaboration, provision of Technical supervision, manpower management and an improved 2-way referral system in the nation’s primary healthcare centers.

Someone needs to blame the government for not living up to its responsibilities of providing adequate facilities in the public health sector rather than the blame game and scapegoating of Nigerian nurses.