The Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, in the Ifedore local government area of Ondo State, has administered oath on its first set of nurses and midwives twelve years after it was established.
The new set of nurses and midwives who took oath included 21 females and two males who had undergone five years of training at the university.
The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar who administered the oath to the students, advised them to be good ambassadors of the profession and the institution where they graduated.
Abubakar said the students were qualified for the induction ceremony, having passed the Council examination, and would now proceed on a one-year internship programme.
His words, ” You are here today to formally perform the induction ceremony which will enable you to proceed for this one-year mandatory internship programme at the end of which you will obtain your registration number, notification, certificate, and practising license from the Council.
“By this, your, degree will be recognised and you will henceforth be addressed as a Professional Nurse with the title Registered Nurse (RN) after your name”
Abubakar said the council relied on the new inductees to make the nursing profession proud and appealing. He advised them to be good ambassadors and show kindness to those who are committed to their hands for care.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Kayode Ijadunola said there is no amount of health practitioners produced in the country that would be enough considering the way they are leaving the country in droves after graduation. He also said no legislation would bar them from travelling abroad for greener pastures.
According to him, Nigeria is producing a significant number of health workers today, including doctors and nurses. However, he said the problem is retaining those trained after their graduation.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Prof Omolola Irinoye said inappropriate salaries for health workers and the work environment are some of the factors leading them abroad to greener pastures.
Irinoye said “People must be paid to commensurate with the nature of the work they do. And whenever you see anybody doing shifting duties, you distort their rhythm.
What people do in many places is compensate people for the nature of the work they do. People are running out because we are not meeting essential needs. Where they are running to is not as if they are doing free jobs; they get reasonable money that can enable them to meet their family needs.
