COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 21ST NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE AND SCIENTIFIC UPDATE (NAPCON) OF THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES OF NURSING SCIENCE ASSOCIATION (UGONSA) HELD AT NURSES’ HOUSE, IGBATORO ROAD, AKURE, ONDO STATE, FROM OCTOBER 9TH TO OCTOBER 13TH, 2024.

                                                         

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 21ST NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE AND SCIENTIFIC UPDATE (NAPCON) OF THE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES OF NURSING SCIENCE ASSOCIATION (UGONSA) HELD AT NURSES’ HOUSE, IGBATORO ROAD, AKURE, ONDO STATE, FROM OCTOBER 9TH TO OCTOBER 13TH, 2024.

Tag: Consolidation Summit

Theme: Innovative Approaches towards Managing Nurses’ Emigration: What are the Unexplored Paradigms?

Preamble

UGONSA greatly appreciates all our invited dignitaries that graced the official opening ceremony of the conference, notably, the chief guest of honour – His Excellency, Lucky O. Aiyedatiwa, the Executive Governor of Ondo State ably represented by the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the Governor on Health, Prof. Michael Odimayo; the Special guest of honour – Dr. Banji A. Ajaka - Hon. Commissioner of Health, Ondo State; Special guests - Board Members, Ondo State Hospital Management Board; Important invitee - Hon. (Nurse) Adamolekun Arinola, full-time Board Member of Ondo State Hospital Management Board; the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Omolola O. Irinoye – the Vice Chancellor of Achievers’ University, Ondo State; the Esteemed guest of honour, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) Alh. Dr. Ndagi Alhassan ably represented by the Ondo State N&MCN’s Zonal Officer, Nr. Olowofila Joshua; The Father of the Event, Comrade Michael Nnachi, The National President of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) ably represented by comrade Chidi Aligwe; Mother of the Event, and Nr. Franca Okafor (GANV), Director of Nursing Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja.  Others were Mrs. Mary Aliu (The Director of Nursing Services, Ondo State); the Ondo State NANNM Chairman, Comrade Orobode Felix; and our main partner, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director, Ondo State office, Dr Sunday Dele David, ably represented by Dr. Ibraheem Adebayo. The association is also very thankful to the Government and the good people of Ondo State for providing a peaceful atmosphere for our 21^st National Professional Conference and Scientific Update and to the Ondo State UGONSA State Administrative Council (SAC) Members, Local Organizational Committee (LOC) members, ably led by the Chairperson Mrs Olubunmi Jaiyeola and other members of Ondo State UGONSA for a well-organized hosting. Above all, the association is thankful to God Almighty for the safety granted to all the participants from different States to and fro the conference, and for His abundant grace throughout the conference.

The opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 in a well-decorated auditorium filled with participants from different States and other invited guests, and the flag-off of the event was done by the chief guest of honour – His Excellency, Lucky O. Aiyedatiwa, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, ably represented by the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the Governor on Health, Prof. Michael Odimayo. The event was chaired by Nr. Opeyemi Ojo, UGONSA National President. All the dignitaries presented goodwill messages to the association.

Publications

Book of Abstracts of the 21^st UGONSA Conference; and a press statement on nurses’ emigration vis-à-vis advising the Nigerian federal government on curbing healthcare workers' emigration and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) were among the key conference publications.

Awards

Grand Ambassador of Nightingalic Virtues (GANV) was awarded to five nurses (two University Dons and three past national executive members of UGONSA), namely, Prof. Omolola O. Irinoye - the Vice Chancellor of Achievers’ University and Prof. Ijeoma Ehiemere from University of Nigeria (UNN) Enugu – the Editor –in – Chief of The Nursing Scope Journal. These two notable university Dons contributed immensely to the growth and advancement of Nursing Education in Nigeria and to the success of The Nursing Scope Journal.  Others were, Chief (Hon.) Solomon E. O. Egwuenu - the immediate past National President of UGONSA, Dr, Goodluck I. Nshi – the immediate past National General Secretary of UGONSA, and Nr. Afoi Barry Baidy, the Immediate past National PRO and current Deputy National President, Northern zone. The remarkable achievements of their tenure was the registration of the association with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2014, revitalization of UGONSA Journal, The Nursing Scope, and assurance of wide recognition and acceptance of UGONSA in all the Universities in the country, initiation of the online membership registration and data-base for the association. Their dogged dedication, sacrifices, and selfless services, in conjunction with other notable stakeholders in Nursing, saw to the realization of Internship for University Graduates of Nursing degree holders and approval of Enhanced Entry Point for nurses with B.N.Sc. Degree by the National Council on Establishment (NCE). GANV is the highest award grantable to Nurses for distinguished services and outstanding impact in advancing the collective aspiration of the Nursing Profession. All the five awardees were also inducted into the prestigious Nursing Hall of Fame.

Proceedings

Those whose abstracts were accepted by the Abstract Review Committee and listed for presentation, and who met the set criteria for presentation were scheduled for presentation. While General Congress was on Friday, October 11, 2024 co-presided over by Chief (Hon.) Solomom E. O. Egwuenu and Nr. Opeyemi Ojo. The proceedings of the general congress of 20^th NAPCON held at Abakaliki 2022 was presented. The Conference aimed at consolidating on the milestone achievements of the profession over the past ten years, address Nurses’ Emigration and high incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases.

Congress and Resolutions

1.      The Congress-in-Session adopted all the resolutions of the 20^th NAPCON Congress as presented

2.      The congress-in-session observed a minute of silence in honour of late Nr. Onwusonye, Chioma Ume (Ex-Officio Member) who died on November 27, 2023, and was buried on the 23rd February, 2024 at her home town in Abia State.

3.      The congress-in-session congratulated the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) under the leadership of the former Registrar/CEO Alh. Faruk Umar Abubakar (Ph.D.) for approving 3 Continuing Educational Units (3CEUs) for renewal of License for our 2024 NAPCON.

4.      UGONSA congratulates Mr. Ndagi Alhassan for his emergence as the Acting Register/CEO of the Council and urged him to eliminate every bottleneck hindering seamless verification of nurses’ certificate(s) by reverting to the old guidelines of Certificate(s) verification.

5.      The congress-in-session appreciated Comrade Michael Nnachi Ekuma, the National President of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) (represented by Comrade Chidi Aligwe) for gracing our 2024 NAPCON, and wished him and his team success in the forthcoming NANNM election, which he seeks re-election.

6.      The congress-in-session appreciated the World Health Organization (WHO) for their participation in our conference and urged the body to collaborate with UGONSA for further capacity building of UGONSA members/Nurses for health manpower improvement in Nigeria. The association strongly advised/advocated for initiation of “Nurse Led Management of Non-Communicable Diseases to reduce the incidence of NCDs in the Country, and called for institution of Nurse Led Health Facility Policy immediately, taking into consideration the Nigerian peculiarities.

7.      The congress-in-session urged Nigerian nurses and Nurse Leaders at all levels to consolidate unity of the profession in order to achieve professional growth.

8.      The congress-in-session called for integration of evidence-based research into the clinical practice and create specialty practice concept anchored on research in order to continue to improve the quality of nursing care provided to the health service consumers.

9.      The congress-in-session called on the Nurses in Academics, Nurse Administrators, Researchers, Nurse Clinicians, N&MCN, NANNM, and other relevant Stakeholders to collaborate in policy formulation to improve and make Nursing profession in Nigeria better.

10.  The congress-in-session advised the federal government to be kind to Nurses in Academics/trainers and those in the clinical areas, and upgrade their welfare packages to the level comparable with their counterparts overseas so as to retain them in Nigeria to improve healthcare workforce.

11.  In view of the approved Enhanced Entry Point (proper placement) for university graduate nurses by the National Council on Establishment, and the subsequent exemption of House Officers and all Interns from Public Service Scheme of Service, the congress-in-session agreed to work with the federal ministry of health to propose and ensure a central and equal placement of all interns for their one year internship service. And place all B.N.Sc. degree holders on Salary Grade Level 10 (SGL-10) (C0NHESS 9 step 2), post NYSC, in the civil service. The congress equally urged the Ministry and advocated that academic qualifications (Ph.D, M.Sc., & B.N.Sc.) should be paramount consideration on Nurses’ placement and promotions. The congress reasoned that differentiated nursing will motivate nurses to continually upgrade and update their skills, knowledge and competence which will invariably add qualitative value to nursing services.

12.  The congress-in-session frowned at the continuous engagement of qualified nurses as Locum staff by the management of some health facilities, and advised that such practices should stop forthwith. Congress demanded the appointment of all qualified and licensed Nurses on a permanent basis according to labour laws and civil service rules. Congress noted that it beggars belief that the government cry that there are shortages of nurses in Nigeria, yet most of the available nurses have no guaranteed employment and many that are engaged are appointed as locum.

13.  The congress-in-session urged the Government to look beyond minimum wage consequential adjustment and embrace a more holistic approach towards managing nurses’ emigration as contained in our press statement titled “Nurses to FG: The Solution to Nurses’ Emigration Brain Drain is Easy” that was published in National dailies, our news website (https://www.ugonsa.com/2024/10/nurses-to-fg-solution-to-nurses.html), nairaland online platform and others.

14.   The congress-in-session equally frowned at the spiralling inflation on food items, skyrocketing electric tariff, and the burgeoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) pump price hike which has impacted the lives of the citizens negatively and called on the government to address the issues immediately by reviewing the price of the product downward. The congress also advised the government to make haste in revamping the local petrol refineries, strengthening security so that farmers can go back to farms, and remove tariffs on essential commodities and food items to cushion the suffering of the masse.

15.   The congress-in-session received reports from Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa Ibom States during the congress. The congress advised all State chapters to employ lobbying strategy to drive home and achieve their demands from management and government parastatals in their States.

16.   Congress advised that the President should convoke a stakeholder’s meeting as soon as possible after the conference to reflect on the just concluded conference in order to address all the challenges encountered in order to chart a way forward. Congress-in-session also advised that the association should pursue and strengthen their collaborations with international organizations to derive benefits for her members

17.   Congress recommended that henceforth, all the NAC/NEC members should arrive at the hosting states two days before the official opening to ensure that necessary modalities are in place before the arrival of other participants.

18.   The vote of thanks to the host state was offered by Akwa Ibom State Chairperson, Mrs. Ukpe, Enoh, while the motion for adjournment was moved by Dr. Chijioke O. Nwodoh and seconded by Dr. (Mrs.) Aina, Folasade O.

19.  The next UGONSA NAPCON was zoned to the Northern Zone, and to be hosted by Nasarawa State in 2025.

COMMUNIQUE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Nr. Eteng, Philip Okori           -           -           National General Secretary

Dr. Chijioke Oliver Nwodoh -           -           Deputy National President/Eastern Zone President

Nr. Adewale Kola       -           -           -           Assistant National Secretary, Western Zone

Nr. Ugo, Francis N.    -           -           -           State Secretary, Ebonyi State

Nr. Lucy Ogor-           -           -           -           State Secretary, Enugu State

 

                                                                             

Nurse Ojo Opeyemi                                                                       Nurse Philip O. Eteng

National President                                                                              National Secretary

 

Read More »

Nurses to FG: The Solution to Nurses’ Emigration Brain Drain is Easy

 In the wake of the rising trend of Nigerian nurses massively migrating abroad in search of greener pastures, a.k.a. “Japa Syndrome”, nurses under the auspices of the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) have advised the government that with political will, the solution to the problem is handy. In a statement on Tuesday  issued via its communique at the end of its National Profession Conference and Scientific Update (NAPCON) 2024, held in Ondo State, and jointly signed by her National President, Nurse Opeyemi Ojo and the National Secretary, Nurse Philip Eteng, the association bemoaned the tsunami of Nigerian healthcare workforce emigration to developed countries, which it described as the eleventh (11th) plague after the similitude of the Biblical Egyptian plague.

“Acknowledging the devastating impact of the skyrocketing nurses’ emigration to the Nigerian healthcare sector, the association submitted that for the government to understand the gravity of the situation, it is crucial to look at facts and figures.”

“Data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria showed that more than 42,000 Nigerian Nurses migrated abroad in the last three years, with about 15,000 nurses leaving Nigeria in 2023 alone.”

“Considering that the current nurses’ coverage rate is 1.5 nurses per 10,000 persons against the 3.75 nurses per 10,000 population recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Nigeria, it portends that there is more than a 60% shortfall in the WHO-recommended nurses’ coverage rate. The situation is even catastrophically dire in rural areas as most of our nursing workforce is concentrated in the urban areas.”

“The paradox is that while we complain about the nurses' emigration and its consequent brain drain, evidence shows that a huge chunk of qualified nurses in Nigeria are either unemployed, under-employed, or underpaid.”

“The current Nigerian nurses and midwives unemployment survey showed that 57.1% of nurses remained unemployed 0-2 years after graduation, 29.9% remained unemployed for 3–5 years, 7% remained unemployed for 6 – 8 years, and 6.1% remained unemployed for more than 8 years after graduation.”

“The survey also found that 95% of the unemployed Nurses & Midwives were willing to work in rural community settings, given the resources and the same pay as those who work in Federal Medical Centers and Teaching Hospitals located in urban areas.”

“While we concede that we lose our best nurses in the ongoing emigration wave, we make bold to emphasize that the government has not done much to address the perennial issue of unemployment and underemployment of nurses in Nigeria.”

“How do we tell the nurses who have not found work more than eight years after graduation to remain in the country and to maintain hope in the government or our healthcare system when the subtle message that the government is passing to them is “we do not need you”?

“When you contrast this with open adverts from foreign countries that need the services of these nurses that are treated as trash here in Nigeria, it becomes crystal clear that nurses who have left and those planning to leave are not doing so out of lack of patriotism but primarily out of poor treatment, debasement, and outright neglect that our system lacerated them with.”   

The association recalled that the Federal Government (FG), in its 2001 Abuja declaration, set a target of 15% as the share of gross government expenditure to be annually spent on healthcare to revamp our health sector. It declared that it is unacceptable that the government has been failing an exam it set for itself by averaging about 4.2% per annum since 2001 that it set this target.  It, therefore, advised the government to fully implement the 15% target of the Abuja declaration, as this will enable the healthcare sector to have the necessary transformative funds.

“We unequivocally call on the FG to implement its own self-set target of 15% government expenditure for the health sector and use the resultant funds to modernize our healthcare facilities and offer life insurance, improved retirement benefits, subsidized education, automatic employment of nurses and midwives, and a comparative wage that will be at least up to 10% of what nurses working abroad, say in the United States, make.”

 The association also advised the FG to float a targeted incentive that will entice those currently living abroad to return home.

“Being in contact with many nurses living abroad, this association can confidently assert that a considerable number of nurses currently living abroad would return home to offer their knowledge, skills, and expertise to develop our own health system if the government could advance an incentive that would see them earn about 20% of what they earn abroad here in Nigeria.”

 “Because nurses are the tapestry that upholds the development of any health system, we, therefore, call on the government to show the political will to lift our healthcare system out of its current abyss by prioritizing nurses’ welfare and employment as the performance of any healthcare system is a direct reflection of how it treats its nurses”- the statement concluded. 

Read More »

The Nursing Scope Journal: Volume 7 Issue 1

 Volume 7, Issue 1 of our highly peer-reviewed journal, “The Nursing Scope,” is out. The August 5, 2024, publication marks the seventh issue published within three years of the classical journal's revitalization. Clicking on the DOIs below will lead you to the online version of the publication:

Israel, C. E., Mmuo, M.M., Nwosa, A.C., Madu, O.T., Omotola, N.J., & Agu, S.I. (2024). Knowledge, perception, and acceptability of vasectomy among adult males at University of Nigeria, Enugu campus. The Nursing Scope, 7(1), 1-12. ISSN:  2645-2936 (Online); 0795 – 6541 (Print). https://doi.org/10.59073/thenursingscope71/1-12 

 

Kombo, S.A., Maimunat, A., Sani, S.M., Ahmad, Y., Fatima, M., Abdul, H.M., Abdullahi, S.S., Alhaji, A. (2024). Perceptions of nurses working in primary health centres on factors influencing their readiness to manage family violence in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The Nursing Scope, 7(1), 13-25. ISSN:  2645-2936 (Online); 0795 – 6541 (Print). https://doi.org/10.59073/thenursingscope71/13-25

Irikefe, C. A., Ndie, E, C.  and Eze, U. E. (2024). Attitudes and practice of solid waste management among residents of federal capital territory municipal council, Nigeria. The Nursing Scope, 7(1), 26-35. ISSN:  2645-2936 (Online); 0795 – 6541 (Print). https://doi.org/10.59073/thenursingscope71/26-35  

 

The Nursing Scope is an open-access journal. To access all published articles, visit the journal’s website, https://thenursingscope.org/ , and click on view articles. To download the articles, you have to subscribe “free of charge” and download as many articles as you want, all “free of charge”. Collection of Articles for the next issue (Volume 7 Issue 2) will commence on October 17, after the UGONSA National Professional Conference & Scientific Update (NAPCON), Ondo 2024.

 UGONSA…Make a Positive Change!!!

Signed

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Editor-in-Chief

Prof.  (Mrs.) Ijeoma O. Ehiemere,

University of Nigeria; The Nursing Scope Main Editorial Office

Email: gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com; ijeoma.ehiemere@unn.edu.ng; ijeomere@yahoo.com.

 

Editors

 

Prof. Joseph Osuji

Mount Royal University, Canada

Email: josuji@mtroyal.ca; joseph.osuji@unn.edu.ng.

 

Prof. Mildred Edet John,

Garden City University College, Kumasi, Ghana

Email: miljohn2k@yahoo.com.

 

Prof. Omolola Oladunni Irinoye

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Email: oirinoye@oauife.edu.ng; omololaoni@gmail.com.

 

Prof. Elkenah Chubike Ndie

National Open University of Nigeria

Email: endie@noun.edu.ng.; chubike05@yahoo.com.

 

Prof. Saleh Ngaski Garba

Bayero University, Kano – Nigeria

Email: sngarba.nur@buk.edu.ng; salenga2004@gmail.com

 

Dr. Akon Emmanuel Ndiok

University of Calabar, Nigeria

Email: ndioka@unical.edu.ng. ; akonndiok157@gmail.com.

 

Dr. Adenike Adebola Olaitan Olaniyi

University College Hospital, Ibadan

Email: adenikeolaniyi4@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Dr. Emmanuel Ejembi Anyebe

University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Email: ejembianyebe@gmail.com; anyebe.ee@unilorin.edu.ng.

 

Dr. Chijioke O. Nwodoh

University of Nigeria

chijioke.nwodoh@unn.edu.ng; cjontheweb@yahoo.com.

 

Dr. Nelson C. Okpua

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Timur Laut, Malaysia

nelson.okpua@student.usm.my.

 

Dr Goodluck I. Nshi,

Aspen University, Denver, CO, U.S.A.

Email: mekagoodluck@yahoo.com.

 

 

Nurse Baidy Barry Afoi,

Bingham University PMB 0005 Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

barry.afoi@binghamuni.edu.ng, afoibarry@gmail.com, afoibarry@yahoo.com.

 

Nurse Ogechukwu A. Nwigbo

Firstcare Beneavin House Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

nwigboogechukwu@gmail.com.

 

Nurse Opeyemi Idowu Ojo

Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria

bisopedow@gmail.com. 

Read More »

TOTAL WITHDRAWAL OF THE COURT CASE INSTITUTED AGAINST NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (NMCN) OVER THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR VERIFICATION OF CERTIFICATE(S) WITH THE NMCN

 

TOTAL WITHDRAWAL OF THE COURT CASE INSTITUTED AGAINST NURSING AND MIDWIFERY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (NMCN) OVER THE REVISED GUIDELINES FOR VERIFICATION OF CERTIFICATE(S) WITH THE NMCN                                                                                                                                     

Nigerian Nurses under the auspices of the Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), has withdrawn the Court Case filed against the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) over the Revised Guidelines for Verification of Certificate(s) with N&MCN. This is contained in a letter co-signed by it national President and General Secretary, Nr. Ojo, Opeyemi and Nr. Eteng, Philip, addressed to her legal representative in the Federal High Court sitting in Egugu, the Enugu State Capital. The letter read; 

All States and Unit Chapters of UGONSA,
All States Chairmen and Secretaries of UGONSA,

All Nursing Communities in Nigeria and the Diaspora,

The General Public.

 

Dear UGONSITES,

 

The National Administrative Council (NAC) of UGONSA conveys the fraternal greetings of all her members to you, and to the Nursing profession both in Nigeria and in diaspora.

2.      It should be recalled that the NMCN in a Circular Ref. No. N&MCN/SG/RO/MH/14/VOL.1/40, dated 7^th February 2024, released revised guidelines and requirements to be met by all applicants seeking Verification of Certificate(s) to foreign Nursing Boards/Council.

3.      Recall, also, that UGONSA in her attempt to draw the attention of the NMCN through the Registrar of the Council, to the damming consequences the contents of the Circular would have on the nursing profession if it is allowed to thrive, appealed to the Council in her letter Ref. No. UG/NAT/24/NMCN/LVGP/01, dated 9^th February 2024, titled: URGENT APPEAL FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE NEW NURSING REGISTRATION VERIFICATION POLICY, stating her commitment to dialogue and collaboration with NMCN, and other stakeholders in Nursing to achieve a favourable guidelines for Nigerian Nurses and Nursing Profession.

4.      Dear Comrades, given the promptness of the circular’s effective date of implementation (1^st March 2024), and what seemed to be an act of ignominy and disdain towards UGONSA by the Registrar due to the perceived silence to our letter dated 9^th of February, 2024, the association was left with no option than to approach the court for legal redress, praying the court to prevail on the Registrar cum Council to suspend the implementation of the circular pending when the contending issues in the circular are internally addressed. Hence, the court case against NMCN authorized/instituted on the 18^th of February 2024.

5.      Note, also, that the association, in her reply to the NANNM National President on his call for the association to withdraw the Court Case to allow NANNM resolve the issues in the guidelines, called the NANNM President to advise the Council to consult widely by engaging all stakeholders for a possible dialogue for out of Court settlement, while reinstating her commitment for making a positive change that gears towards peace, unity, harmony and progress in the Nursing Profession. All these measures affirm the association’s desire, ab initio, for dialogue and in-house settlement.

6.      Dear Nigerian Nurses. UGONSA makes bold to state that all the actions taken on this process were in good intent, and entirely for the interest and benefit of Nigerian Nurses both at home and in the diaspora, and for the future of the Nursing Profession in Nigeria, as the guidelines, as it were, challenged the autonomy of Nursing as a profession, and seen as an infringement on the fundamental human rights of Nigerian Nurses.

7.    Permit us, therefore, to say that, in life, maturity entails knowing when to fight and when to quit fighting to give room for negotiation, peace, and progress, and living to fight another day.

8.      It was on the above premise that UGONSA, with other two concerned Nursing groups that equally sued the Council on the same subject, came together to form a formidable coalition that initiated the dialogue meeting with the Registrar of NMCN, with our dear Mother, Nurse Franca Okafor, the Director of Nursing Services (the Grand Ambassador of Nightingalic Virtue (GANV)) in the Federal Ministry of Health mediating the negotiation process.

9.      Dear Comrades, the NAC,  haven taken into consideration the SWOT analysis of the whole process, came to a reasonable conclusion that, despite the strength and chances of our position in court, the harsh effect of the NMCM’s decision to suspend the verification of certificates of numerous colleagues and nurses all over the world until whenever the cases are concluded in court made us believe that further pursuance of justice in the court may jeopardize the lives and chances of Nurses whom we are fighting for. This belief led the NAC, in her emergency meeting held on the 17^th of July, 2024, to agree unanimously and decide to withdraw the Court Case totally, to allow for further dialogue between the Coalition of the Concerned Nurses and the NMCN towards re-opening of Certificate Verification Portal, and formulation of acceptable Guidelines for Certification Verification for Nurses.

10  We, therefore, appreciate all of you who stood by the association while this process lasted, either through phone calls, messages, and financial support. Please know that by taking our destiny into our hands by seeking redress in court, Nigerian Nurses and Nursing Profession are the winners of the struggle, and have made a bold statement to the powers that be for future struggles. Be assured that UGONSA is ever ready to partner with all well-meaning individuals or groups to make a positive change in the Nursing Profession.

11  Thank you. 

Read More »

UGONSA ANNOUNCES THE DATE FOR HER NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE (NAPCON) AND SCIENTIFIC UPDATE - ONDO 2024: CALLS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

UGONSA ANNOUNCES THE DATE FOR HER NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE (NAPCON) AND SCIENTIFIC UPDATE - ONDO 2024: CALLS FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

 The University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), also known as the Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), will hold her 21^stNational Professional Conference and Scientific Update from Tuesday, October 8 to Sunday, October 13, 2024, in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. UGONSA cordially invites all Nursing & Midwifery Professionals to submit abstracts in research, projects, dissertations, clinical update, thesis, or theoretical/conceptual framework to be considered for presentation at the conference. Project papers should include best evidence-based practices.

THEME: INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TOWARDS MANAGING NURSES’ EMIGRATION: WHAT ARE THE UNEXPLORED PARADIGMS?

TAG: The conference is tagged "CONSOLIDATION SUMMIT"

The conference shall be used to review the successes and achievements made so far in our dear noble profession of nursing, and how to consolidate on the achievements. The conference will also aim at examining other unexplored paradigms to curb the present challenge of “Brain drain” (japa syndrome) in the healthcare sector.

Submission Deadline

Materials must be received by UGONSA not later than Midnight of Friday, August16, 2024, as an extension may not be granted. Materials should be submitted electronically, in Microsoft words format, through the UGONSA official email address, gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com.

Abstract Review and Selection Process

After the submission deadline, all completed and eligible abstracts will be made available to UGONSA Abstract Reviewers (AR) for blinded review, vetting, and scoring following satisfaction of originality index test. The final decision will be made by the programme committee before August 31, 2024.

Abstracts will be evaluated and scored solely on their scientific merits.

Incomplete Abstracts will not be reviewed.

Likewise, any material that fails the originality index test will be regarded as plagiarized work and will, accordingly, be rejected.

Acceptance/Rejection Notification

Notification regarding acceptance or rejection of abstracts will be sent to the presenting author beforeSeptember2, 2024 by email; consequently, an accurate email address is critical. If you submitted an abstract and did not receive any notification at this specified time, you should send us an email via gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com or visit our news site, www.ugonsa.com, and fill the contact form.

If your abstract is accepted, the email will specify whether it is accepted for presentation at the plenary session or whether it has been selected to be published in our book of abstracts or journal only.

If, after completing your submission, you did not receive a confirmation email from UGONSA within 72 hours, you should contact us as stated above.

Abstract Submission Fee: Not Applicable

Conference Registration Fee and Accommodation

The Conference schedule and registration modalities will be on the conference posters and fliers that will be published by first week of September 2024. The registration fee is #15,000 (fifteen thousand naira) for Graduates and #10,000 (ten thousand hundred naira) for undergraduates. The fee shall cover the conference Bag, Book of Abstracts (soft copy), the Nursing Scope Journal, conference materials, and meals (breakfast and lunch) only. Each conference participant shall be responsible for his/her transportation and accommodation. UGONSA shall bargain and arrange for decent and affordable hotel accommodation in Akure (the Ondo State capital) within the price range of N7,000 (seven thousand naira) to N10,000 (ten thousand naira) per night to make the cost of lodging minimal and considerate for participants.

Conference Programme

The onsite printed programme will include the specific time for each abstract presentation and the moderator's name for each session. Abstracts may list multiple study authors.

Presentation at the Conference

The presentation at the conference must reflect the submitted abstract. In particular, the abstract title, authorship, and scientific content of the presentation at the conference must match the submitted abstract, although updates can be added.

 

Guidelines for Paper Presentation at the Conference

Papers must not exceed 15 pages in Microsoft Word, including tables and references, and should be typed double-line spaced (Times New Roman font size 12) on A4-sized paper.

APA referencing format, 7th edition, should be used.

UGONSA shall make hard copies available to participants during the conference. Papers should include a cover page with title, author's/authors' name(s), institutional affiliation, and email address.

Commitment

Each submitter will be notified about the programme committee's decision on the acceptance of an abstract. Each author shall be asked to accept the invitation to present. Presenters must take their commitment to make presentations, except in cases of a true emergency, very seriously. In such a case, UGONSA shall publish an errata sheet to be distributed with the proceedings indicating the names of individuals and their abstract titles that have been listed for presentation but would no longer be presented at the conference.  If a scheduled presenter fails to show up for reasons other than the aforementioned, such shall attract blacklisting, which shall cause UGONSA to refuse to accept subsequent works from the affected author in the future.

Abstract Withdrawal

Once an abstract is accepted, a written request to withdraw should be submitted no later than August 30, 2024, through gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com if the author decides to withdraw the abstract for any reason. Abstracts may not be withdrawn after this deadline.

UGONSA reserves the right to withdraw abstracts that violate the Association's policies and guidelines, such as those that have failed the originality index test for plagiarism, or have been deemed scientifically unsound, or have been found to include inaccurate data, etc.

For further inquiry, kindly contact:

University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), CAC/IT/69387 via email at: gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com. Or call the National President, or the Secretary, on; +23480388358107, +2348155280990; +2348063477661.

e-signed by Nr. Opeyemi Ojo, and, Nr. Eteng, Philip, The National President and Secretary.

 

Read More »