Nurses Demand Policy Making Role

Nurses across the nation
have demanded their involvement in policy making and implementation at all levels of healthcare service delivery in order to contribute maximally on issues that affect the profession as well as delivery on their mandate of quality nursing care.
This was one of the fallouts of the 5-day 14th Annual Scientific Conference of the Committee of Heads of Basic and Post Basic Nursing Institutions in Nigeria (COHBPNIN) in Port Harcourt, recently.
In a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Communiqué Drafting Committee, Ojong-Alasia Mary and Secretary, Luka Gaji Dung  the nurses maintained that their involvement in the sector’s policy making would further enhance their zeal for the profession thereby overcoming the challenge of the shortage of nurses and midwives all over the country which it said should be addressed by the government to reduce the burden  of care in order for patients to relieve quality nursing care.
The communiqué urged all stakeholders involved in the education and practice of nursing to as a matter of priority provide the necessary manpower and infrastructure in order to meet the accreditation requirement of nursing institutions.
“It said “the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal and States Ministries of Health should work in collaboration towards the implementation of the Unified Scheme of Service for Nurses without further delay. Government and other employers of nurses should provide a safe work environment for effective nursing delivery”.
While noting the theme of the conference ‘Sustaining Excellence In Nursing Education, And Practice Through Research And Evidence –Based Approach’, the communiqué urged educators in the nursing institutions to work in collaboration with their counterparts in the practice area while carrying out researches in order for students and clinical nurses to become acquainted with research procedures in order to deliver quality nursing care to the nation as well as compete favourably with colleagues around the world in modern day nursing care.

Lady Godknows Ogbulu