The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has encouraged the Federal Government to actively hire and provide automatic employment to newly qualified nurses and midwives as a strategy to fight the present brain drain in the health sector.
The group made this request during a recent presentation to the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions.
In a statement acquired by Newsmen regarding the presentation, NANNM voiced its concerns and stance on the updated certificate verification guidelines.
According to reports, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria will modify its certification verification and license approval procedures for nurses and midwives in February 2024.
The amended standards require qualified applicants to have at least two years of post-qualification experience from the day their permanent practicing license is issued.
Also, applicants are required to “request a letter of good standing from the chief executive officer of the applicant’s place(s) of work and the last nursing training institution attended, and responses on these shall be addressed directly to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN. Please note that the council shall not accept such letter(s) through the applicant.”
The instruction provoked several protests at NMCN offices in Abuja and Lagos, and some dissatisfied nurses sued to challenge the altered verification rules in court.
NANNM, the umbrella group of registered and licensed nurses and midwives, also objected to these guidelines, seeing them as an attempt to stifle nurses’ and midwives’ freedom of movement and career growth.
Furthermore, the presentation, signed by NANNM’s General Secretary, Thomas Shettima, advocated for revisions to various areas of the new verification rules.
NANNM proposed a more simplified and efficient verification method to avoid excessive bureaucratic delays.
NANNM proposed a more simplified and efficient verification method to avoid excessive bureaucratic delays.
“NANNM hereby recommends the following to address the sensitive items in the guidelines: Item 3 of the new verification policy stipulates a minimum of two years after qualification from the day the permanent practicing license is issued: NANNM views this item as a stringent measure against Nigerian nurses and midwives and advocates for a streamlined, transparent, and efficient verification process to ensure nurses are not subjected to unnecessary bureaucratic delays and harsh policies.
“This will help maintain professional mobility and reduce frustration among nurses seeking international employment.
“We therefore recommend that the item be stepped down,” it stated.
The group also recommended eliminating the requirement for a letter from the last training institution, claiming that the NMCN was competent at evaluating certified nurses and midwives’ academic records.
They also demanded that a “letter of good standing” be issued by the head of nursing services at the applicant’s place of work.
NANNM further proposed, “Item 7A of the revised guidelines states that the processing of verification applications takes a minimum of six months.
“The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria is a well-digitalized government agency that speeds up processes; given the above, NANNM recommends a processing period of four weeks.”
In an interview, NANNM’s Lagos State Chairman expressed concern about the increasing pressure on nurses and midwives as a result of the widespread migration of healthcare workers.
She disclosed that between 2021 and 2023, nearly 43,000 nurses and midwives fled the nation, including 15,000 in 2023 alone.
“For nurses, the nurse-patient ratio has increased tremendously to an unacceptable value of about 1:2000. Nurses experience work overload, resulting in brain drain, job dissatisfaction, low productivity, poor health, and even a short life span. Most of our families have been negatively affected due to work overload and challenges experienced by our nurses at work,” Adeboboye said.
To deal with these issues, NANNM pushed for the automatic employment of newly qualified nurses and midwives, as well as a presence at the negotiating table when developing fair, reasonable, and workable policies for its members.
The group also claimed that it was willing to work with the Federal Ministry of Health, the NMCN, and the House Committee on Health Institutions to create and implement new regulations.
It adds, “NANNM recommends aggressive employment of nurses and midwives and automatic employment of newly qualified nurses and midwives by the government.
“Conclusively, NANNM is ready and willing to collaborate with FMOH, NMCN, the chairman, and members of the house committee on health institutions to ensure improved healthcare delivery and health outcomes in Nigeria.”
