Int’l Nurses Day: We Face A Lot Of Stress Due To Long Working Hours – Nigerian Nurses Lament
Some stakeholders in the health sector want Governments at all levels to prioritize the welfare of Nurses for a better service delivery.
They made the submission in Ibadan in an interview on the occasion of this year’s International Nurses Day.
A registered Nurse Midwife who is a Chief Nursing Officer at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Mrs Favour Akinwale said nurses face a lot of stress due to long work hours and shortage of Nurses in the Country.
She decried the exodus of Nurses abroad for greener pastures, urging the government to appreciate Nurses by improving their incentives.
Mrs Akinwale highlighted several other factors putting pressure on nigerian nurses to include inadequate and limited access to technology and equipment, non involvement of nurses in hosiptal management’s decision-making, insecurity, rising cases of kidnapping for ransom and attacks on nurses, which according to her leads to burnout.
She emphasized the need for the government to provide the nurses with opportunities for specialized training and certification, noting that this would enhance nursing skills and expertise.
Also speaking, another Chief Nurse from the state hospital, Adeoyo maternity teaching hospital Yemetu, Ibadan, Mrs Oladuni Yinusa advocated the employment of more health workers to ease the stress, and replace those that have died on the job, retired or migrated, noting that some Nurses died as a result of family and work related stress.
International nurses day is celebrated every 12th of May.
This year’s theme is “Our Nurse, Our Future, Caring For Nurses Strengthens The Economy
