The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has charged the graduating nurses at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, to uphold the professional ethics of the nursing profession at all times.
Specifically, the council asked the young nurses to be polite to their patients and maintain adequate confidentiality with them.
The Registrar of NMCN, Dr Alhassan Ndagi, made the charge on Tuesday at the induction ceremony of the nursing graduates of the university.
No fewer than 163 were administered of oath at the induction of 163 nurses at the Ondo State-based university.
Represented by Mrs Seun Olanihun, the NMCN registrar reminded the new nurses of the need to be humane while practising by providing competent and quality care to the sick as well as individuals, regardless of race, religion and status, in diverse settings.
“You are reminded of the obligations you’re undertaking. Endeavour to alleviate suffering, promote health, prevent illness, and refrain from any action that is deleterious and mischievous or might endanger life. Respect patient dignity, maintain confidentiality, and keep personal information private,” he said.
He further urged them to stay current in their professional knowledge and skills, collaborate with other healthcare team members, and adhere to the NMCN’s standards of practice.
In a lecture delivered during the event, a don from the Department of Nursing Science, University of Ilorin, Prof. Emmanuel Anyebe, emphasised that technology in the nursing profession had provided nurses, particularly new graduates, with many opportunities.
In the lecture titled, ‘Nursing in a tech-driven world: Opportunities and challenges for new graduates,’ the don noted that new graduates of nursing must be prepared to uphold and safeguard the human touch in nursing, the compassionate care, irreplaceable by AI and its technological siblings.
These opportunities cut across educational, clinical, entrepreneurial, and linkage investments for nurses. These have changed the course of the nursing profession over the last few years, even in Nigeria, despite its struggling levels in the country.
“New entrants in nursing must therefore understand and prepare for these opportunities (which must be explored) as well as for the challenges (to be overcome).
“As a humanistic, compassionate, caring profession, the tech-related challenges in nursing may be daunting, and if not realistically prepared for by both old and new nurses. It may be professionally catastrophic: losing the essence of the nursing care desirable of its practitioners,” the don said.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor of the Achievers University, Prof. Bode Ayorinde, pledged to award scholarships, up to PhD level, to 10 graduating nurses from the Faculty of Nursing Science of the institution.
He also promised that the institution would be willing to employ the first 10 of them who would be interested in academics after their internship and service.
In addition to getting employed, he said they would be given accommodation and be allowed to pursue their education to PhD level.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Omolola Irinoye, reminded the new nurses of the need to exude discipline and professionalism in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the Achievers University had succeeded in giving them the best in nursing education. She charged them to exemplify the knowledge as they go into the labour market.
“My dear inductees, today marks the beginning of your sacred ministry of care. You have toiled through the nights of study, endured the pressures of clinical practice, and learned to balance knowledge with compassion.
“Now, clothed in white, you carry not just a uniform, but a symbol of purity, dedication, and selfless service,” she said.
PUNCH NEWS.
