Unionism and Professionalism in Nursing; The Journey So Far by Isaiah Owoeye
The struggle for Nursing professional status began after the unity among nurses’ association was achieved. Subsequently, nurses realized a need for full professional status to be conferred on nursing. Moses Olabkde, as a master strategist, mapped out strategies that the association could use in handling the case. From his strategic planning, he realized that the Military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd) was planning to hand over to a democratically elected government in Nigeria.
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He had a second thought that if the struggle is not achieved before they bow out of the office, the civilian may question the reason why the association did not fight for her right before the military government handed over. He looked into it that it will be tantamount to the association trying to take the civilian government for granted. Having this understanding, he swung into immediate action by moving the association to fight the course. This started in the year 1978.
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It was in 1979 that it became a national burning issue. As usual, the media who would not but air the issue concerning nurses proactive measure in fighting her course made the scenario interesting.
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It was in line with this struggle that the government set up an Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) to look into the issue.
When the panel proceeding was ongoing, Moses Olabode went all out to convince the panel that nursing is a profession of its own. It is not para-medicine, sub medicine or under medicine.
He stated that medicine and nursing are two parallel professions with interrelated functions. He described to the panel, how nursing is a pivot which holds all other professions together. He expansiated this by describing the coordinating role of a nurse in the health care industry. According to Moses Olabode, ‘the work of a doctor starts with a nurse and ends with a nurse’. Nurses stay with patient for 24 hours and determine the health needs of the patient. Nurses inform other health practitioners about the health status of the patient and it is based on nurses’ information that other professionals base their decision making in the care of the client. Nursing is a nodal profession which all other professional acts through. A physiologist described nursing as the matrix of connective tissue which supports, sustains and coordinates the work of the specialized cells in carrying out the function of the tissue. The matrix is highly structured and organized (Okunade, 2001).
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In the defense of the above statements, he had some vital documents with him that helped in substantiating and buttressing his points. He sourced for a research paper in the United States of America. His subscriptions to international journals also aided in searching for points on professionalism in nursing. Aside from the facts that he had the privilege to know people and places where he could get information, he was also given to personal studies to enrich his understanding of the issue surrounding his arguments. The struggle was a tedious one because a lot went into it. It took human and material resources, but it was a worthwhile struggle because nurses later won the IAP award.
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One of the notable unionists who participated actively in the struggle for IAP award was Mrs Oluremi Omotosho. She was the first renal nurse in Nigeria and formerly the Chairman NANNM at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). At the heat of the struggle, she had to flee her home, with the support of her husband, to prevent being arrested (Punch, 2018). Her action was not due to cowardice, but to prevent the government from encapsulating and thwarting the union efforts.
The international community also did lend their voices to the struggle in solidarity. The British nurses came into Nigeria at that period in support of the right course that Nigeria nurses were chatting toward professionalism.
In the midst of the struggle, there was much opposition within nursing profession and outside the profession. For example, Graduate nurses and Medical doctors were all out to ensure that the struggle never materialized. These groups of professional who were opposing professional status for nurses tried to scuttle NANNM’s effort at every junction of the proceedings. When the association won the award, it was stated that, if after 21days none of the parties challenge the award by raising an objection the award remain confirmed. When the opposition faction raised a preliminary report on the issue, Moses Olabode moved the Lagos nurses to network and get Chief Rotimi Williams to handle the case. He knew that the association had a good case, but still needed a lawyer with high pedigree and experience. At that time Chief F.R.A Williams as the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria was an icon among legal luminaries. This made him to spot Chief F.R.A. Williams for the task.
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Olabode and his Lagos colleagues on behalf of the association met Williams who had more than Twenty lawyers in his chamber. He told Williams that the association did not have money, but needed him to personally handle the case for them (not the young Lawyers in his chamber). Chief Williams who was a giant in physical stature, while on sit almost fell off the chair he was sitting as he was laughing at the request from Olabode. Following the persistence of the association, at the end of the day, he willingly agreed to handle the case.
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The conclusion on the judgement was done before Obasanjo administration ended. The opposing professionals did not know they had to protest within a time frame, they waited until the time elapsed. When they eventually tried to make move of going to the Supreme court, they were told of their impending failure at that level. This made them to rest their case.
During one of the arguments, one of the opposing professionals stated that nurses are not being trained in the university, so they cannot be granted the professional status. Olabode was alluding to the fact that ‘nurses do not study in the university is immaterial and not relevant. He cited some lawyers who did not go through the university to study law and yet are recognised as professionals, and are not being discriminated at the bench and the bar. Little did he know that the Chairman of IAP, Barrister Efueye, was a lawyer who did not go through the University. Olabode did not stop at that, he made reference to some Medical doctors who were trained at Yaba College and Pharmacist from the same college, how they rose to the zenith of their profession. He pointed out some of them in the military and some in the service of Lagos state. It was so hilarious that many got the message.
As the argument continued, the opposing professionals stated that because nurses are not graduates, they are for system maintenance and not system designers. Olabode questioned that statement and asked them: Who designed nursing for nurses? He informed that ‘no doctor prescribed nursing for nurses’. He further reiterated that nurses designed nursing, prescribed nursing, diagnosed nursing etc and that no person can do nursing jobs on nurses’ behalf instead it was nurses doing others professionals’ jobs due to dearth of man power, so that the health system will not suffer.
With this foregoing, Moses Olabode later encouraged all nurses to go and get their degrees, but it was not specified then, because he believed all areas in health care are related to nursing. He further encouraged based on this that all the Schools of Nursing be affiliated to universities.
It was during Shagari’s regime that time and the matter made NANNM members to appear at the senate.
–#Excerpts From Unionism and Professionalism in Nursing by Isaiah Owoeye
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It’s important all Nigerian Nurses Practicing home and abroad as well as Nursing students and stakeholders know about their professional rights to enable them practice favorable in our strictly biased health care sector; the provisions of the IAP award is one thing we should all get informed about……
I know you may not know about the provisions of this award.
Learn more about Nurses struggle and look forward for the Book Unionism and Professionalism in Nursing: The Heroic Legacy of HRM Moses Olabode by Isaiah Owoeye