By Aderogba George
Abuja, May 9, 2025 (NAN) The Igala Nurses Association of Nigeria (INAMA), Abuja Chapter, has urged students of Yagongwo College of Nursing Sciences, Kuje, to exhibit characters that will promote the nursing profession.
President of the association, Dr Christie Awunor, stated this during the association’s visit to the school to commemorate the 2025 Nurses Week, an annual global event celebrated between May 6 and May 12.
Awunor said that the visit was also to mentor the students and prepare them for the task ahead in the nursing profession, in line with the theme of this year’s celebration: ‘Our nurses, our future’.
“This year, the Igala nurses have chosen to visit the College of Nursing, Kuje, to celebrate with them, in line with the theme for the year: “Our nurses, our future”; these are the future nurses that we have.
“We are equally here to improve the knowledge of these young nurses; a lot of them have different notions on why they are in the nursing profession.
“Many of these young nurses think nursing is just a bedside activity they should have, but nursing is beyond that. As a nurse, you can do so many other things.
“What we have learnt today or taught the students is for them to look beyond nursing as a bedside activity. Nurses can be leaders of tomorrow; they can be nurse entrepreneurs; they can be nurse educators.
“Nurses can also be in public health; they can be advocates for their patients who are within the hospitals. We want the nurses to be voices for the profession, and this is because nursing is a noble profession,” she said.
While describing nursing as a dynamic and responsive profession, she stressed the need for the nursing students to have the necessary knowledge so as to be able to do well.
Awunor also called on them to leverage technology in transforming the country’s healthcare delivery system, which, she said, was beyond sitting and giving patients injection and drugs.
According to her, while some nurses are called, others are made, calling, therefore, on those who were made to jettison the mindset of travelling abroad to make money after obtaining the training, but stay back to contribute their quotas.
“Nursing is about caring for people, healing the sick and supporting the community. We want you to see the need to support the people in their communities rather than going abroad for money.
“You can still learn more and give your best to the patients and the healthcare delivery system.
“On our part, INAMA will continue to give its best to Nigerian societies. We are calling on other NGOs and well-meaning Nigerians to support our course so that we can give our best,” she said.
The Managing Director/CEO of the college, Dr Adamu-Jato Noma, appreciated members of the association for the visit, saying that they had impacted so much on the students through their advices.
“I think they have spent close to three hours now talking to our students.
“They have been talking about effective communication, effective hospital and healthcare management; these are knowledge-based issues.
“This has added to the wisdom of our students; we believe this knowledge will help them to do their best when they go out for the practical in the healthcare centres or the hospitals.
“This is a welcome idea. The Igala students in this school are proud of the association; they must continue to come to our school; this shouldn’t be the end,” he said.
President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) in the college, Miss Chime Virginia, expressed appreciation to the association, saying that it had impacted knowledge on them in so many ways.
Virginia said that what the association had taught the student had added value and created awareness about what they hoped when they began practicing the profession.
(NAN)