UGONSA WRITES FMOH OVER EXCLUSION OF NURSES FROM INTERNSHIP BY ABUTH

Director Human Resources,

Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH),

New Federal Secretariat Complex,

Phase III, Ahmadu Bello Way,

Central Business District,

P.M.B 083,

Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.

Sir/Madam,

INTERNSHIP AND PROPER PLACEMENT OF GRADUATE NURSES: KINDLY PREVAIL ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ABUTH ZARIA TO STOP ITS OVERT DISCRIMINATION AND MARGINALIZATION OF NURSES

Nightingales greetings from the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), the professional association of nurses with a minimum of first degree in nursing.

2. We wish to draw your esteemed attention to the current discrimination and marginalization suffered by nurses at the hands of the management of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria vis-à-vis failure to implement proper placement of already employed nursing officers from CONHESS 07 to CONHESS 08 as well as their flagrant exclusion of the position of nurse interns in their recent advert placement for interns that listed positions for interns of other healthcare disciplines (refer Annexure A). 

3. Recall that the FMOH had previously directed the Chief Executive Officers of Hospitals, Agencies and Parastatals to implement the nurses’ internship and effect the proper placement of already employed graduate nurses vide several letters and circulars [e.g. Ref No. C.6093/T/16 dated February 20, 2018; Ref No.C6093/T/13 dated 19th June, 2017; Ref No. DHS/800/I/T/8 dated 3rd October, 2017] (please kindly refer to the attached documents).

4. It is therefore very clear that despite the fatherly disposition of the ministry to give a sense of belonging to all categories of healthcare workers, those at the helm of affairs in ABUTH Zaria, out of primordial sentiment against nurses are bent on treating nurses as outcasts in our health system.

5. Since the circular from the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 dated 8th September, 2016 had made a one-year internship training a compulsory part of nursing education for the Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc) degree as is obtainable with the university education of other healthcare disciplines, this type of discriminatory disposition  and marginalization by ABUTH Zaria against nurses portends grave consequences for the future of nursing education in Nigeria as extant rules have made the baccalaureate education of nurses incomplete and void without the internship training.

6. Because nurses provide the first line of client care and have the highest visibility and number of hours spent with patients in the hospital, it behoves that nurses need the opportunity of blending theory with clinical practice offered by the internship training more than any other member of the healthcare team for qualitative care of the lives of people entrusted unto them.

7. We therefore passionately call on you to prevail on the management of ABUTH Zaria to stop the ongoing marginalization and discrimination against nurses by implementing without further delay the graduate nurses’ internship and effecting their proper placement as prescribed by extant circulars.

PRAYERS

We passionately call on your good office to prevail on the management of ABUTH Zaria to 

1. advertise the post of nurse interns as was done for the interns of other healthcare disciplines. 

2. upgrade existing nursing officers who were on CONHESS 07 before the release of the circular to the new base of CONHESS 08 effective from 8th September, 2016 (being the date of release of the circular REF No. HCSF/EIR/CND/S.100/ST/97 by the office of the head of civil service of the federation) as prescribed by the civil service circular, Ref No. B63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002 (please refer Annexure B).

3. commence the employment of fresh graduate nurses on CONHESS 08 and upgrade the existing nursing officers who were wrongly employed on CONHESS 07 after 8th September, 2016 to CONHESS 08 effective from the date of their employment.

Attached herewith is your copy of a current letter we wrote the management of ABUTH on the subject matter.

Kindly accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.

Signed:

CHIEF (HON.) S.E.O. EGWUENU                                                 NURSE G.I. NSHI

           National President                                                                      National Secretary

CC:

Director, Nursing Services FMOH Abuja