Plateau state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has advised nurses and midwives in Nigeria to be committed to professionalism in order to salvage the profession from extinction.
The governor, while speaking on Friday in Abuja, during the launch of Challenges and Triumph of Nursing Profession in Nigeria, written by Professor Kola Oyedepo, Mutfwang said that the nursing profession has not been given its pride of place in Nigeria as a result of self-inflicted woes by the practitioners.
He said: “I am connected to nursing. My deputy is a nurse. My immediate younger sister is a nurse. So, in every way, I am connected with nursing. As a governor, I have many nursing training institutions I have to look after. The book by Professor Kola Oyedepo is important to the nursing profession. Without history, the purpose is lost.
“As the book reviewer said, the nursing profession has not been given its pride of place in Nigeria. However, I want to say that it is self-inflicted. There is a saying that the way you dress is the way you’re addressed. Nurses are important because after the doctor has finished his surgery or examination, the nurses take over.
“I recall a friend who had a surgery as a result of intestine disease. However, he ate pounded yam afterwards and died later on. The nurses who were supposed to be looking after him said that they didn’t know he ate pounded yam. That is a lot of issue because the nurses are supposed to be aware of the patients and what they eat.
“Nevertheless, the Registrar must mobilize members of the nursing profession to rise to the occasion. They must do a lot of research to change the perception of the nursing profession. You should ensure that these books don’t end in this hall. They should be transmitted to those who need them.
“They should read and retool and change the narrative in the nursing profession. The book will not be a waste, but will add value to policy makers and the nursing profession.”
Speaking earlier, the author, Professor Kola Oyedepo, said he was inspired to write the book so that nurses and midwives will know the history of the profession and not be lost in it.
“Any organisation or profession who fails to recognize his history is doomed to fail. That is why we’re here. It is good for nurses to know how the profession started and where we are. The book will serve as a veritable tool and resource material to those in the profession,” he said.
