Pursuant to our letter Ref No. UGONSA/015/FMOH/01/3/11 dated 12th November 2015, where we prayed that you expedite action on the release of circular for internship and proper placement of Graduates of Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc) degree, we wish to remind you that Nurses are eagerly awaiting your fatherly action on the matter.

 

⦁ It is a blatant aberration to place graduate Nurses on CONHESS 07 Post-NYSC whereas their counterparts in other core healthcare disciplines are placed on at least CONHESS 09 Post-NYSC.

⦁ What we find unbelievable is that this aberration thrives without recourse to the fact that all these core healthcare disciplines have similar entry requirements and course duration in the University with the profession of Nursing Science.   

⦁ The ‘open market square’ mockery of employing graduates of B.N.S.c degree on CONHESS 07 post-NYSC in our Health System, whereas their juniors (interns) from other healthcare disciplines are employed on at least CONHESS 08 pre-NYSC, is needless especially as it has earned our healthcare system nothing other than self orchestrated backwardness, avoidable animosity and balkanization.

⦁ When equity, fairness and justice are deliberately liquidated in a system the system reciprocates by balancing itself invariably with disunity, mistrust, and animosity and consequently is robbed of progressive positive changes and development as typified by our ever withering Health System.

⦁ It is not only retrogressive but also counterproductive that Nurses who are the first and last point of call to patients and also stay with them round-the-clock, caring for them when other members of the healthcare team are long gone, are the only group among the core care healthcare professionals whose young Graduates are denied the opportunity of acquiring and building comprehensive clinical expertise for qualitative client care, through internship, which even professionals that have little or no direct contact with the patient all participate in. 

⦁ We had emphasized but still wish to re-emphasize that internship for graduates of B.N.Sc degree is paramount to effective, efficient and reliable healthcare delivery that can transform Nigeria into a ‘world power’ in care delivery and their placement on CONHESS 09 remains a major determinant of sustainable peace and harmony in our Health System as equity breeds peace and fairness breeds harmony.

⦁ Internship is imperative for pervasive clinical psychomotor development of Fresh Graduate Nurses just as it is to House Officers and other interns. There is no reason thus, to consider a fresh Graduate Nurse “Super Nurse” than to consider a House Officer “super Doctor”. More so, since Nurses are universally entrusted with people’s lives, is it not imperative that they are adequately trained and mentored, through the internship scheme, to be competent enough to discharge such sensitive responsibility efficiently and effectively?

⦁ Having  waited patiently, Sir, for your candid redress of this issue without obvious response, we are constrained to infer that your seeming silence on these age-long  issues of glaring injustice, cheats, marginalization and unwarranted deprivation, since  they were brought to your esteemed attention hitherto, is no more golden and now constitutes a  serious worry and concern to us.

 

PRAYER

While we assure you of the highest regard of Nurses under the aegis of this Association, we once again fervently pray that you expedite the 

⦁ release of the implementing circular for internship of Graduates of B.N.Sc degree.

⦁   rectification of the aberrant under placement of Graduates of B.N.Sc degree from CONHESS 07 Post-NYSC to at least CONHESS 09, to be at par with what is obtainable for other core healthcare professionals .

 

Signed: