In this article you will read this YONM: The Dilemma of NANNM and Future of Nursing
YONM: The Dilemma of NANNM and Future of Nursing
(The Ultimate Search for a Permant Panacea for the NANNM National Dilemma)
Sometime last year, in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, I returned to a few media friends for help. Having gotten a good signal on my initial encounter with them in late 2019 where I apologize for our deafening silence as Nurses and took responsibility on of nurse leaders.
So we had this engaging discussion about the terrible image of nursing and how the media could begin to help undo the fatal damage done in the last two decades.
I proposed that we start with improving the emerging situation especially with the nursing and midwifery workforce being decimated by the effect of the pandemic.
I painted the true picture of a likely national health tragedy, of how Nigeria will sure be in deep trouble “if” the nursing and midwifery workforce, the major bulk of Nigeria’s weakened healthcare system, which is reaching its elastic limits eventually breaks down and snaps.
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Expectedly, they agreed to making this work for the sake of public health safety and eventually linked me up to a senior media personnel working at the presidency.
The request? Opportunity to share the behind the scene emotionally touching stories of how the nursing and midwifery workforce is being ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and why the Federal Government must begin to pay special attention to its nursing workforce in the midst of a global pandemic.
After highlighting the need to help project the plight of Nurses who are truly the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 tragedy in a year globally dedicated to Nurses and Midwives, he was more than willing and excited to help.
That readiness however was expectedly accompanied by his expression of shock at our dead silence as Nurses especially at the national level, knowing the vast opportunity presented by the mainstream media and more importantly, THE ALL POWERFUL SOCIAL MEDIA.
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He pointed out that Covid-19 gave us a golden opportunity on a platter of gold to highlight the significance of that Year of the Nurse and the Midwife alongside the enormous contribution of the nursing and midwifery workforce, giving it NURSES the privilege of a strong VOICE at the national level. Who am I to argue with him? This guy, a media expert sure knows what he was saying. He was damn right!
He then specifically asked for a compilation of the statistical data that can be quoted at the presidency as evidence to supplement the heartbreaking situation of the healthcare workforce from a different dimension.
I knew this was another golden privilege that must not be squandered like previous ones. So I had to get down to work immediately.
But there was a very big problem!
On a good day, the data being requested by the Aso Rock contact was simply a peice of cake.
This should be verifiable nursing data that could be generated across the 36 states of the federation and FCT in 24 hours, just with the click of a google form created in less than 10 minutes!
In fact, a follow up collaboration with some of Nigerian’s best nursing scholars in the academic field, the West African College of Nursing, NMCN and the Nursing Dept. FMOH could turn that data into a goldmine of global research project worth thousands of dollars. I was already thinking for NANNM.
READ THIS: RESTORING THE IMAGE OF NURSING THROUGH EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Additionaly, this was one of the simplest task ever. All I needed was to get my laptop, scribble an official mail to the NANNM secretariat and send a short proposal with just the click of a finger.
And what should happen thereafter?
Ordinarily, I should get an automatic mail response from the secretariat in less than 5 seconds after I send a mail with a reply like this: “Thank you for contacting the NANNM secretariat. We will respond to your mail shortly.”
Boom! That’s called E-Mail Automationautomation and even if a million mails comes in all at the same time, all the senders will get the message under 5 seconds, all at the same time.
That’s so much that the digital world gave to NANNM in the last one decade and fortunately, Covid-19 nailed that significance.
Back to the main matter before I digress..
Correspondingly speaking, in the middle of a pandemic, switching to a digital operation was the first move by most major serious organizations, and for the second most powerful nursing organization in Africa, that’ was inevitably compelling. Afterall, even the International Council of Nurses had led the way already.
But just like I said, there was a big problem!
Sending a mail to the NANNM secretariat was NOT AN OPTION. Not in a lifetime! (Unless of course things had suddenly changed yesterday)
Though the request for data by my contact in the presidency was an urgent one, from past experiences, the NANNM secretariat does not appreciate the value of digital media correspondence. NANNM dont communicate with e mails so it was going to be a tough one.
Thinking Triple A? Nada!
If you think Triple A is the major problem of NANNM, it means you don’t fully comprehend ‘Whats’app’ with NANNM. Arguing that he is or is not ‘part of the problem’ is a debate for another day. Afeterall, he is president of the second most powerful nursing organization in Africa.
However, are you aware of how NANNM had been battling ‘kidney failue’ for years? Oh, you dont know?
If one of the kidneys of NANNM had lost its physiological function, it was the secretariat.
I will be surprised if YOU tell me you don’t know that the NANNM secretariat is run by an ‘oversabi demigod’ who is not only 500% ANALOGUE but 1000% ANTI-DIGITAL!
And when ‘an ordinary employee becomes so deadly power drunk that he takes over your job as the employer, and you refuse to draft his sack letter, then you are a gonna!
I want to believe that either the ‘almighty Constitution’ made this errousneously possible or the State Councils in the 36 States of the federation and the FCT made it so easy. I guess it’s time someone begin to take responsibility for that long standing embarassing mess.
Have you ever written a mail to the national NANNM secretariat before? You are just wasting your time! Some state secratriats are even worse than the national.
If you haven’t and are thinking of one, don’t just bother to go down that path. I sent proposals to NANNM for almost 3 years, and I did not get a simple acknowledgement, not one, talk less of a reply. (I laugh in Swahili).
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I know someone who was more fortunate though, the NANNM secretariat (I am not even sure if it I should use the word ‘Secretarat’ or ‘Secretary’ as there seems to no difference between the two) insisted that this person has to travel down to Abuja secretariat to physically submit their letter, and then he will need to come back physically to Abuja to get the response, and then come back physically again to sit down to discuss the proposal, after which he will now wait for response. And guess what, that process may take 2 months! Bangladesh! We are doing well…
Again back to the main gist….
So what did I do to ensure NANNM utilizes this golden opportunity?
I simply found another way. I found a faster way to contact someone powerful inside NANNM and I must tell you, that gist is really interesting…..
I will be back soon!
To be continued….
