Attainment of Bachelor of Nursing (through Distance Learning): A Progression or Regression to Nursing

I am writing to make a contribution to the Distance Learning imbroglio of Bnsc ( Bachelor of Nursing Science) that will soon start in Zaria as posted by a colleague in this platform.

Nursing is,naturally, a noble profession and its nobility enchants many people into it,but many get undermined and sometimes frustrated at one point or the other as the expectation was higher,prior to entering it,than what is met,albeit not everywhere but ,especially, in Nigeria. So, many Nurses opt for going abroad to get satisfied and proud with the profession.

In the past,Nursing was a subservient profession. One of the reasons the appellation: ” Gallipot Nurses”. They could be kicked to different direction just like a ball. There was nothing like independent roles of nurses or if any veiled by the dependent roles as we cover a patient having rigour with blanket. That was then, but people outside still perceive nurses like that as apparent in the movies. So despicable! There is nothing like such again because of the advancement in Nursing Education by Nigerian Nurses, and has really elevated the status of Nurses in this country.

Nursing shouldn’t be the shadow of its formal self. We should not relent in raising the flag of the profession by continuing our education (Nurses and Profession). In this generation of ours, we have inherited some disgusting legacies from our predecessors who could not really further their Nursing Education. But they can not be blamed because most did not have the opportunity to do so. They either remained single or with few having post-basic education as a specialty. There were few universities offering BNsc, coupled with the fact that Nursing was too dominated by female genders, marital issues would set in and preclude many from going further. Recruitment of more Male Nurses into the profession is really helping now which is manifest in the early release of Council result since our amiable Registrar, Alh. Nurse Faruq got into the post contrary to what it used to be.

Even till now,not all the universities in Nigeria offering Medicine offer Nursing which means a system is working against the profession and Nurses in this country. It is inexcusable as Nursing and Medicine as courses are pari passu.

End justifies the means according to Max Weber if I have not forgotten. Nobody can back
a child better than his mother. Nursing practice and education started in foreign countries which means, though we can,but still far from what is being practised overseas. Without beating about the bush, Distance Education is an advantage to Nursing and Nurses in general. In fact, a progress.It has really helped the profession by increasing the population of Nurses with BNsc . Nurses are brilliant. Many became undermined after many attempts to further.They were denied of admission through Direct Entry ,just like a patient with 10% pcv whose relative with the same blood group refused to donate. Distance Learning is an antidote to that,Nurses can now have their BNsc while working with less stress. You have your time ,brain and comfort nothing remains than creating one’s time to read,the reason behind the motto of NOUN ” Work and Learn”.

Recently our former president got his PhD in theology through Distance Learning from NOUN. So what else?

Scraping BNsc from schools having distance education is like sitting on a keg of gun powder.It will offer us nothing but velocity retardation of the profession. Education makes us to be respected in the health team.

Succinctly in conclusion, Nurses need to be united and speak with one voice. The intra-professional conflict is a clog in the wheel of the progress of the profession. If it warrants us to strike to achieve our common goal that will benefit the profession and nurses in general,we should do. Some ( in the health sector) often do that and works well for them. We should let them know our significance in the health sector not in quantity but quality. In togetherness we can fight for :

*Having Bachelor of Nursing Science in all universities offering Medicine course.
*50% of admitted nurses into the university MUST be through Direct Entry.

I suggest all these will serve as a leverage for Nurses in furthering their education through different alternatives that may even render Nursing as a distance education useless or more optional and make upcoming nurses to have faith in the profession. Analogically if faith and unity ( among nurses) in a single syringe of the profession are diluted,nothing will be injected (achieved) than progress.

Great Nurses!!! Great Nursing Profession!!!
Great Nursing profession!!!! Great Nurses!!!
Yahya L.O
RN, BnSc ( in view)