The body of Heads of Nursing Services Departments and Principals of Nursing Schools in the Federal Health Institutions, have urged the Federal Government (FG) to review the Act guiding headship of Federal hospitals in the country.
The group made the call in a communique signed and issued to newsmen by Dr Awoseemo Aderonke and Nurse Hassan Salamatu, National Chairman and Secretary of the body.
It stated that the decision for the review of the Act was part of the resolutions reached at the end of its 23rd Scientific Conference/General Meeting held between July 9 and 14 at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
The communique stated that the theme of the event was: “Sustaining Nursing Education and Practice in a Depressed Economy.”
According to the communique, reviewing the law will guide against unhealthy rivalry, noting that headship is no longer exclusively reserved.
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The communique also laid emphasis on collaborative teamwork that recognises professional autonomy and boundaries as contained in the IAP Award of 1983.
It called on FG to improve on Nurses remuneration and conditions of service in tandem with educational reforms in nursing and global best practices.
It also urged the FG to overhaul both the clinical and academic areas of nursing profession, and provide modern equipment and consumables to the health facilities, as well as employ nurses massively, to cushion the effects of brain drain in the country.
The communique called on FG to consider the critical roles that nurses and midwives played in the health sector, adding that it frowned at the non-inclusion of nurses in policy making and healthcare system leadership in proportion to their contributions and relevance.
It, however, called on the government to engage nurses and midwives at all levels of leadership and policy making, as well as invest in nurses and their profession as a matter of necessity and inevitability.
According to the communique, doing this will fast track the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage.
It also implored management of various health institutions to encourage and make capacity building and manpower development a priority.
It said that health institutions management should make capacity building more accessible to nurses in forms of release and sponsorship for higher degrees, workshops, conferences and other training.
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The communique commended Nigerian nurses and midwives for all their efforts, sacrifices and commitments to the delivery of efficient and effective healthcare services to Nigerians in spite of the workloads imposed on them in the health system due to brain drain.
It commended the recent efforts of the government at the federal and sub-national levels for improving the security situation in the country.
It further called on the government to intensify efforts by deploying all resources at its disposal to ensure the safety of lives and property across the country.
The communique congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his inauguration as the 16th President of the country as well as acknowledged his reform agenda in an effort to reposition the country.
It urged Tinubu to quickly put in place both short and long term palliative measures to ameliorate the sufferings the reform imposed on Nigerians.
The communique implored the president to extend those reforms to the health sector, to make health available to the downtrodden.
It also appreciated the government and people of Rivers State, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and the Chief Medical Director of the university.
The communique also appreciated the Head of Nursing Department of the University, the executive members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the state.
“The meeting had its members, stakeholders in clinical and training institutions, the registrar and secretary general of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in attendance.
Also in attendance were the chairmen/ secretaries of relevant associations and pressure groups, the communique said.
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