Nurses nationwide have raised alarm on rampant bullying and excessive workload in public health facilities, warning that it’s taking a toll on their well-being and effectiveness on the job.
Despite their dedication to patient care, young nurses are facing a toxic work environment, leading to decreased productivity and burnout
The nurses bemoaned that these are challenges contributing to the declining number of nurses in the profession and posing significant risks to patient care.
The nurses spoke during a press briefing organised by the Nursing Group Administrators to protest against the new certificate verification guidelines set up by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The aggrieved nurses lamented that many of them had been subjected to various forms of bullying by senior colleagues, including verbal abuse, humiliation, and exclusion.
They noted that these experiences had exposed them to mental health issues, with some choosing to leave the profession and travelling abroad to work.
One of the young nurses, who is also a representative of the group, Edike Osemeke, said the alarming trend was increasing the country’s nursing shortage, thus, putting patient safety at risk.
He added, “One of the key challenges highlighted by younger nurses is the unfair workload on their cadre, reluctance of hospital managements to employ more nurses, and the toxic work culture in their facilities.
“We take these issues seriously because young nurses are the most mobile group and their complaints about frustration and lack of support contribute significantly to their outward migration, especially to private facilities, and non-clinical work settings such as HM0s of federal facilities in Nigeria.”
“We believe the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities should take firm policy decisions that would prevent bullying, ensure fair distribution of workload and promote an amiable and supportive work culture to improve the retention of young Nurses.”
While speaking on the NMCN verification, Osemeke maintained that the new NMCN’s verification guidelines are impractical and also detrimental to the advancement of healthcare standards in Nigeria.
He argued that the new NMCN’s verification guidelines would worsen the existing skills gap within the country.
He pointed out that the excessive paperwork and lengthy waiting times create significant roadblocks, blocking nurses from pursuing professional development and career advancement.
Cletus Onyekosor, another nurse, confirmed the hostile work environment, bewailing that young nurses are also being overworked, with many working long hours and caring for more patients than is safe or manageable.
