Nurses in the country have voiced their concerns over the delay in the commencement of Internship and proper placement of graduate nurses. This was made known by the association’s president yesterday while delivering a welcome address at the ongoing induction program for the newly elected state administrative council members of NANNM at the NICON Luxury hotel, Abuja the capital of Nigeria.

"The much delay that is happening to the issue of the commencement of internship for BNSc graduates is of great concern for the Association. The unified scheme of service that is awaiting the consideration and approval of the national council on establishment is a twin issue to the intership" he said. The association National president further added that "the association has exercised enough patience on this matter."

The National president further noted that the clinical practices are bedeviled with many issues which includes :

1) Shortage of Nurses: The country currently has one of the worse nurse to population ratio which is affecting productivity, image and efficiency of Nurses. Although the World Health Organization recommends a nurse to a population ratio of 700, but according to the Open Journal of Nursing, 2014, Nigeria has less than 150,000 registered nurses to cater for an estimated 160 million population, giving an average nurse population ratio of 1 to 1,066 people.

The association president further stated that there are less than 20,000 Nurses in the employment of the 73 federal health institutions in Nigeria. This shortage affects education instructions as well as clinical practices

2) Infrastructural Development : Nigeria health facilities are less than internationally acceptable standard which makes it difficult to discharge optimal care. In some instances, nurses use mobile phone torchlight to perform Nursing duties,where lies efficiency and expected quality outcome? he asked.

3) The work environment: Unfavorable work environment in our health facilities are militating against effective performances. Without a positive work environment the impact of our professional services will amount to nothing. The worst situations occur in the primary health care level

4) Professional jurisdiction: In some cases professional jurisdictions are not religiously adhered to. Nurses and midwives are prevented from carrying out thier rightful duties in some health institutions in the country in contradiction to standard world best practices. This contributes to the negative health indices especially in maternal and infant mortality rate.

[b]5) Quackery and the image of Nurse: [/b]Quackery is a cankerworm that is frustrating the efficiency of Nursing practices and creating a bad image for the profession. Quackery is a criminal offence and it is a great disservice to the Nation. All efforts should be directed towards reducing the menance of quackery to safeguard the interest of the massess.

On the challenges facing nursing education in Nigeria, the National NANNM President said:

"It is pertinent to speak on certain topical issues affecting health care service efficiency and quality outcome in Nigeria. The central issue in professional practices revolves around education, regulatioin and clinical practices. Today, the challenging factors cut accross all these strata. The problem of inadequately equipped institutions for nursing education and absence of available opportunity for linking the two major type of institutions offering education and training for nurses in Nigeria remain a clog in the wheel of progress for the profession. The much orchestrated Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing (PGDN) is yet to have a proper placement in Nursing education.

On the absence of Nursing and Midwifery Council board which has stalled the activities of the regulatory board he said, " Infact , the absence of a board of management for the council is a disservice to the profession and capable of compromising quality healthcare services"

Source :http://nursesarena.com/news/we-have-exercised-enough-patience-on-unified-scheme-of-service-internship-nannm/msg2226/#msg2226