Common Complaints with Nursing in Nigeria.

by Emmanuel Ozoamalu
1 comment
nursing

Nursing is the backbone of the health care system. Nurses are responsible for caring for patients and ensuring their safety and well-being. Furthermore, they’re also the ones who have to deal with the endless stream of ridiculousness from doctors.

Doctors may think they’re the Gods of Medicine, but nurses know better. They’ve seen and heard it all – and they’re not afraid to speak up about it. In this post, we’ll look at some of the biggest complaints nurses have about their Nigerian counterparts.

Just so you know, this is not an attack on nurses. We love nurses! This post is strictly for discussion purposes only. Nurse your heart out, everyone! 

Complaint 1: Nurse-to-Patient Ratios

There’s almost never a nurse around when you need one. Nurses are always in high demand, which means that patients are often left waiting for long periods on end to get just a five-minute consultation.

It’s not that nurses are lazy or anything – they’re just constantly overworked. The nurse-to-patient ratio in Nigeria is absurdly high so it’s no wonder that nurses are always stressed out. 

Complaint 2: Unsanitary Conditions

It’s no secret that nurses are some of the most hardworking professionals in the healthcare industry. However, there are some complaints about them that just can’t be ignored.

Number two on the list is their lack of proper sanitary care. A nurse’s job is to take care of patients.  This means that they should always be conscious of their hygiene. Unfortunately, many nurses in Nigeria don’t seem to care about this as much as they should. This can often have effects that could be far-reaching.  We sometimes hear of people who get re-hospitalized due to an infection a properly sterilized needle would have prevented. 

If you’re ever unfortunate enough to encounter a Nigerian nurse, don’t be afraid to speak up about this issue. It’s also important that their superiors are made aware of the kind of work they’re doing. 

Complaint 3: Lack of Supplies

Nursing is one of the most important healthcare units, and the work is often thankless. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any complaints of their own.

Common complaints nurses have include;

  • Lack of supplies
  • Shifting schedules
  • Difficulty in getting time off

Also, where do all those nurses go when they disappear for hours at a time? Do they just like stockpiling medical supplies in their closets or something? We may never know…

Complaint 4: Poorly Trained Staff

If you’ve ever interacted with a Nigerian nurse, you’ll know that they can be pretty frustrating. They often have little people training, and they’re usually not very courteous. In fact, they can be downright rude. To be fair, they might be trained but frustrations make them temporarily forget the training.

These are similar complaints;
  • They’re poorly trained.
  • They’re also often discourteous and unhelpful.
  • They’re often late for work or don’t show up at all.
  • They often don’t follow proper procedures.
  • They’re often hostile and unapproachable.
Complaint 5: Inadequate Pay

You work hard in an underpaid, thankless job. Your patients are sometimes ungrateful, and your workload is never-ending. Nurses in Nigeria know this all too well.

In fact, nurses often have to take on a second job in order to make ends meet. This can be anything from being an Uber driver to selling groundnuts on the clinic premises. It’s no wonder that many nurses choose to leave the profession altogether.

The Pay is definitely one of the top complaints about nursing in Nigeria.

The core of Nigeria’s healthcare system is its nursing workforce. They are hardworking, dedicated and passionate about their work. However, like any other profession, they have their shortcomings.

This is the summary of the most common complaints about Nigerian nurses;
  1. Nurse Ratchets: Some nurses can be incredibly rude and dismissive. They can make you feel like you’re inferior because you’re not a nurse.
  2. Lack of Knowledge: Many nurses are not properly trained in basic first aid and CPR. This can lead to dangerous situations when they are working in a hospital setting.
  3. Incompetence: Some nurses are not capable of properly caring for patients and often need to be supervised at all times.
  4. Nosy: Nurses have a reputation for being nosy and intrusive. They often ask personal questions which patients find intrusive and inappropriate.
  5. Unprofessionalism: Nigerian nurses are often accused of being unprofessional and also lacking in basic courtesies.

1 comment

Sarah February 11, 2023 - 2:31 pm

When you typing all these, it was sweeting your body. The fact that you think we sterilize needles is absurd. Do you have any idea how many times we wash our hands in a single shift? You are there sitting on your high horse and making ridiculous assumptions about a profession you know nothing about.

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