Monday, 21 August 2023

UGONSA WRITES HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH ON BLATANT DISREGARD TO EXTANT CIRCULAR ON ENHANCED ENTRY POINT BY CMDs AND MDs

 


The Honourable Minister for Health,

Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH),

New Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III, Ahmadu Bellow Way,

Central Business District Abuja,

P.M.B.083, Garki, Abuja,

Nigeria.

 

Attention:

The Permanent Secretary, FMOH,

Director of Human Resources, FMOH&

Director of Nursing Service, FMOH, Abuja.

 

Sir,

BLATANT DISREGARD TO THE PROVISIONS OF EXTANT CIRCULAR ON ENHANCED ENTRY POINT FOR BACHELOR OF NURSING SCIENCE (B.N.Sc.) GRADUATES BY THE MANAGEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA TEACHING HOSPITAL (UNTH), ENUGU, UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL (UPTH), PORT HARCOURT, AND OTHERS: A REQUEST FOR YOUR INTERVENTION

The National Executive Council of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), also known as the Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), a professional association of nurses with a minimum of first degree (B.Sc.Nursing/B.NSc.) in Nursing conveys the fraternal greetings of her members to you and your entire staff.

2.      The association congratulates you on your well-deserved appointment as the Minister for Health by the President, HE. Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Your appointment is a testimonial of your track record of hard work, dedication, and selfless service in your previous engagements.

 3.      Sir, the association wishes to bring to your esteemed notice that the National Council on Establishment (NCE), at its 43rd meeting held at Abuja, FCT, from 24th to 28th January 2022, approved Enhanced Entry Point for Graduate Nurses (nurses with a minimum qualification of a bachelor’s degree in nursing) into the Civil Service from Salary Grade Level (SGL) 9 (CONHESS 8) to SGL 10 (CONHESS 9). With this approval, the entry point for nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc)/B.Sc. Nursing degree after a one-year internship programme and post National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) became Grade Level (GL) 10 (. i.e., CONHESS 09) effective from 28th January, 2022.

 4.      Sir, the above approval was duly conveyed through a Circular from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF)Ref. No. HCSF/SPSO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.8/72dated 27th June, 2022 (Please refer to Annexure A).

 5.      Also, in an earlier Circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Ref.No.B.63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002, (Please refer Annexure B) on “Adjustment of Salary Grade Level as a Result of Enhanced Entry Point (Base Grade level Adjustment) to a Cadre in the Civil Service", the circular unambiguously stated that "in order to stem the spate of agitation over adjustment of grades any time the base grade of any cadre in the Civil Service of the Federation is enhanced, Government has decided that adjustments should affect only the officers within the cadre whose positions fall below the new entry point; but such officers should retain the date of the adjustment as their date of seniority on the new grade, while serving officers who attained the new base grade and other grades above it by promotion or direct appointment will retain their original date of seniority on their respective grades”.

6.      Sir, the above circulars imply that while a fresh graduate of B.N.Sc/B.Sc. Nursing is appointed on GL10 (.i.e., CONHESS 09) post-NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) following the completion of a one-year internship programme; those that are already in service but are still below the new entry point of CONHESS 09 should be adjusted to the new base grade effective from 28th January, 2022 (. i.e., the date of approval by NCE)to maintain their seniority over new graduate nurses who just finished internship training and were employed into the civil service.

7.      Sir, it may interest you to note that while the above-referenced circulars were officially and widely published by the OHCSF to the knowledge of all concerned and the various efforts made by this association and other interested stakeholders in nursing in achieving the implementation of the referred circulars, the management of some federal health institutions had shown no regard to the provisions of the extant circulars. Notably among them are the management of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Enugu State, and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who had chosen to rubbish the circulars, insinuating that the FMOH is not aware of the circulars.

8.      Sir, another ugly concern is the selective implementation of the circular by some heads of institutions. While some heads of institutions and facilities blatantly refused to implement the new circular, others are selectively implementing it as they wish without following the letters and dictates of the circulars. Some heads of facilities erroneously assert that nurses with a "B.N.Sc. degree" who were employed before the effective date of the circular (.i.e., 28th January, 2022) are not eligible for the adjustment to the new base grade even when they are still below the approved SGL, because they are already in service, while others, argues that adjustment will only affect "B.N.Sc./B.Sc.Nursing" nurses who show evidence of completion of an internship, a notable institution in this category among others is Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

9.      On this note, Sir, the association is pleased to inform you that while approval for a one-year internship scheme for University Graduate nurses was conveyed through circulars from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation Ref. Nos. HCSF/EPO/EIR/CND/100/ST dated 7th September, 2016, and HCSF/EIR/CND/100/ST/97 dated 8th September, 2016 (please refer to Annexure C I&II), the modalities for its commencement were contained in a circular Ref. No. N&MCN/SG/RO/CIR/24/VOL.4/4 dated 3rd February, 2017 by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MAC) (please refer to Annexure D). Consequently, our monitoring and evaluation of the situation revealed that effective implementation by institutions took effect by 2018. As such, nurses who graduated before and around this period were not mobilized by their graduating universities for internships but for NYSC (National Youth Service Corp). Therefore, it is unfair and unjust for the heads of institutions to punish them for not participating in the one-year internship scheme that was non-existent when they graduated and were mobilized for NYSC. Since they have already completed the one-year NYSCprogramme and are already employed and worked for more than a year and have more cognate experience than what obtains from an internship. It is very unfair that their recently employed juniors are placed at a higher level than them despite having the same B.N.Sc/B.Sc. Nursing qualification.

10.  The same is also applicable to Registered Nurses (RNs) who acquired their bachelor's degree in nursing through a direct entry (DE), work and study programme (WASP), or open and distance learning such as the National Open University (NOUN). Because these RNs have B.N.Sc/B.Sc, Nursing, and a  cognate experience that supersedes what afforded by the one-year internship, it is an injustice to allow them to remain below their newly employed juniors, whereas the extant circular stipulated that all those below the new base should be adjusted effective from the date of approval of the enhanced-entry point.

11.  Sir, at this point, when all well-meaning public office holders who are representatives of the government at various levels are expected to play their part in line with the renewed hope and agenda of the President to ease tension and ameliorate the current pains occasioned by the economic reforms and policies of the present administration, the actions of these Chief Medical Directors (CMDs)/Hospitals management by refusing to implement government’s extant circulars in its fullest, amounts to complete sabotage of Government good intentions to the hard-working workforce.

 

PRAYER

It is, therefore, on these grounds that the association prays that:

1   1.     you use your powers as the Minister for Health to compel the management of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, to immediately implement the Enhanced Entry Point Placement Circular (SGL-10) for Graduates of Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) degree in their institutions.

    2.         you prevail on the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors (MDs) to commence adjustment to CONHESS 09 of all B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing degree holders who are already in service (with or without internship) but are still below the approved new grade of SGL10 (CONHESS 9) to immediately do so without delay. 

     3.     you order the CMDs, and MDs of UNTH, Enugu; UPTH, Port Harcourt; Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State to implement the enhanced entry placement for Nurses who acquired their bachelor of nursing degree through Direct Entry admission, WASP, or open and distance learning such as NOUN, and as a result, are not eligible to participate in the one-year Internship programme since they are already licensed by Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and have a cognate experience that is above that affordable by internship training.

 

Please accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.   

Signed:

                                                                            

Nurse Opeyemi Ojo                                                                       Nurse Philip O. Eteng

National President                                                                               National Secretary

 

 

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Sunday, 20 August 2023

GNAN WRITES NANNM'S NEC ON UNITY AND RE-INTEGRATION OF UGONSA AS HER PRESSURE GROUP



The National President,

National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM),

13 Makurdi Str. Behind General Post Office,

Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

 

ATTENTION:

Comrade T. A. Shettima, the General Secretary, NANNM.

The National Executives Council, NANNM.

 

Sir,

APPROBATION FOR DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE JOINT HEALTH SECTOR UNION (JOHESU) AND, A CALL FOR RE-INTEGRATION OF UGONSA AS A PRESSURE GROUP IN THE CURRENT NANNM’S CONSTITUTION

 The National Leadership of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), a.k.a Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), ably led by Nurse Opeyemi Ojo, extends the Nightingale’s greetings of all her members to you and the entire leadership of NANNM,

 A)

        i.            The association applauds the daring step taken by your leadership to, among all odds, officially disassociate from the hitherto amalgamation of all health unions in the Nigerian health sector, which has outlived its initial purpose and intent.

       ii.            It could be recalled that UGONSA, in late 2014, having carefully analyzed the deceitful nature and actions and inactions of JOHESU over the years, especially as it borders on lack of vigor to pursue the major demands of nurses and negotiate with Government the approval of internship scheme for graduates of Bachelor of Nursing Science (B.N.Sc.) degree as was done for other member associations like University graduates of Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), officially in a letter addressed to the then Minister for Health Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu disassociated from the joint union.

     iii.            The disassociation afforded UGONSA, as you may know, the opportunity for self-representation to pursue her course and take her destiny into her own hands without reliance on any mega-union to achieve her demands. Therefore, the news and the subsequent notice of the official disengagement of NANNM from JOHESU were welcomed with both hands and minds.

     iv.            UGONSA leadership, therefore, assures you of her unalloyed support where and when necessary in the course of pursuing greater deals for Nigerian nurses.

(B)   RE-INTEGRATION OF UGONSA AS A PRESSURE GROUP IN THE CURRENT NANNM'S CONSTITUTION

         i.            Evidence abounds that once upon a time, GNAN, now known as UGONSA, was imprinted and recognized as one of the pressure groups of/in NANNM as contained in the old NANNM’s constitution (see attached document [old NANNM Constitution , “PREAMBLE, Page 6”]). Astonishingly, an inexplicable turn of events expunged UGONSA (GNAN) from the current NANNM constitution without notice.

       ii.            Dear President and other leaders of our great association, Jorie Nicole McDonald once said, 'The greatest strength of mankind rests in steadfast unity". Familial ties are restored, sports teams are victorious, and friendships are strengthened when unity is a priority. Also, Martin Luther King (Jr.) once said, "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools". Dear leaders, we may have suppressed our consciences or act in denial if we continue to undermine the uniqueness and strength of the sub-units and unions under NANNM, but it is said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much".

     iii.            Just like other professions, the nursing profession, as a unique, noble, and respected profession all over the world, cannot operate in isolation. For example, the Teaching profession has the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) as its mother body and Science Teachers Association as a sub-union under her. Also, in the health sector, we have Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) as an umbrella body for all Medical doctors. Yet, they also have their foot soldiers, such as the National Association of Resident Doctors and the Medical and Dental Consultants' Association of Nigerians (NARDs, and MDCAN). Many examples abound, and Nursing Profession cannot be an exception. Just like any other groups in Nursing and their respective bodies, UGONSA represents those nurses under NANNM with a minimum first degree from the university, as we equally have NANNM-FHI for those nurses working in the federal health institutions. This does not in any way suggest marginalization or superiority or dichotomy within the body of nurses.

     iv.            Dear leaders, our actions and inactions in the past have, in different ways,  been portrayed, suggested, or misinterpreted by nurses as divisive tendencies between NANNM and one of her vital pressure groups - UGONSA. It is said that when two elephants engage in a battle, it is the grasses that bear the brunt. Though we do not see ourselves as a giant, but in all sincerity, the contributions of UGONSA over the years and even now to the growth of the nursing profession cannot be underestimated

       v.            Dears leaders, with the recent divorce from the long marriage with JOHESU and the tsunami of aggrieved nurses who have decided in their own way, to exit from NANNM due to a resolvable misunderstanding between the faction and NANNM over 3% COD, it is imperative that all well-meaning nurses from individuals to corporate bodies and unions come together in cross-breeding of ideas and thoughts to chart a new path for the future of nurses in Nigeria, for there is beauty and power in unity.

     vi.            Our modus operandi may not have been in tandem with yours, but that is the beauty of divergence of opinions. We can only annex the strengths in each other to move ahead. Sir, permit us to quickly say that, as a mother body for so many individuals and unions, the ability to embrace all, irrespective of their opinions and views, utilizing the weapon of dialogue and compromise, are tools to maintain cohesion. 

 

PRAYERS:

In line with our President’s campaign desire to see NANNM and UGONSA function as mother union and subordinate union and as partners in the wheel of progress for the benefit of Nigerian nurses, we, therefore, pray that:

1.      you officially recognize and inscribe UGONSA/GNAN among the pressure groups in NANNM in the current NANNM’s constitution as it was before it was mysteriously removed without notice.

convene a national congress to discuss/negotiate the contending issue of 3% COD that is tearing NANNM apart for all nurses to come together and stronger.

with the current responsibilities that NANNM National has embraced, UGONSA agrees that a one thousand naira (#1,000) COD flat rate is not practicable; therefore, we suggest a 1.5% basic rate or a two thousand naira (#2,000) flat rate across cadres.

 

Please accept the assurances of our esteemed regards.   

 

Signed:

                                                                            

Nurse Ojo Opeyemi                                                                       Nurse Philip O. Eteng

National President                                                                               National Secretary

 

 Cc:

The Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN). FYI.

 

 


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Wednesday, 28 June 2023

THE NURSING SCOPE: UGONSA CALLS FOR ARTICLES FOR VOLUME 6; TO PAY FOR THE MCPDP OF PUBLISHERS

 Having been indexed by Crossref to publish with doi (digital object identifier), The Nursing Scope journal has successfully assigned doi to all its previously published articles. It is now set to publish Volume 6 in November 2023. Henceforth, every article shall be published with a doi. The journal is hereby calling for articles for Volume 6, Issue 1.

The Nursing Scope publishes original articles, seminar papers, reports, reviews, clinical reports, essays, and commentaries from researchers, clinicians, scholars, individuals, and professional bodies in nursing science, allied health sciences, medicine, and any field that deals with human health.

The Nursing Scope is an open-access journal with articles freely accessible to the world at its website https://thenursingscope.org/. To read or download articles on the website, you have to subscribe free of charge (no payment is required).

UGONSA considers publication in a reputable peer-reviewed journal like “The Nursing Scope” as a form of continuing education and will pay for the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP) of any nurse who makes a publication in the forthcoming issues.

Manuscripts, questions, and suggestions should be submitted to gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com or through the "submit manuscript" button on the website. To submit an article from the website, click on "view articles,” this will bring you to the articles' page. On the upper right hand of the article page, you will see the "submit manuscript" button. Click on it and follow its prompts to submit your article.

 

Signed:

Prof. I.O Ehiemere,

Editor-in-Chief,

The Nursing Scope

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NCSBN REPLIES UGONSA: INSTRUCT TO CONTACT AND APPLY TO PEARSON VUE FOR APPROVAL

 


NCSBN thanks UGONSA for contacting them regarding the test center location, specifically in Nigeria. These were their words from their reply:

While we appreciate your request for a test center, unfortunately, we must decline. Pearson VUE holds an exclusive contract to develop and administer the NCLEX, through the approved Pearson Professional Center Network.

Please visit Pearson VUE’s website for questions regarding the application process and to submit an application for evaluation.

NCSBN accepts feedback from the public regarding future test center locations on a continuous basis. NCSBN will record and archive your mail 

Please let us know if we can answer any additional questions regarding this inquiry or any other NCSBN products, programs, or services.

Best regards,

UGONSA has commenced a collaborative effort to make this a reality 

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Wednesday, 3 May 2023

UGONSA WRITES NCSBN, REQUEST NCLEX CENTER IN NIGERIA

  

Jay Douglas, MSM, RN, CSAC, FRE.

The President,

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN),

111 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2900,

Chicago, IL 60601-4277.

 

ATTENTION:

Phyllis Polk Johnson, DNP, RN, FNP-BC,

President-Elect,

National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN),

111 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2900,

Chicago, IL 60601-4277.

 

A REQUEST FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL COUNCIL LICENSURE EXAMINATION (NCLEX) CENTER IN NIGERIA.

 

The University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), also known as the Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), is a professional association of nurses in Nigeria with a minimum qualification of first degree in nursing science (B.N.Sc./B.S.N/ or B.Sc. Nursing), with a membership strength of over ten thousand (10,000) nurses.

2.      We write to inform you of the excruciating pain and heavy financial burden Nigerian nurses intending to migrate and practice in the U.S. endure in an attempt to write the NCLEX exam.

3.      The incessant devaluation of the Nigerian currency (naira), which makes it to exchange at about 720 naira to a dollar in the parallel market, has sent millions of Nigerians, including Nurses, into poverty as the average nurses' salary crashed from about $700 to $200 per month.

4.      Despite their high proficiency, those that intend to migrate to the U.S. are further stripped of the paltry savings they made from their meager income vide the requirement that they have to seek visas to travel to countries that have NCLEX centers such as India, United Kingdom, South Africa, and the Philippines. Because visa application is not a guaranteed process, most nurses that apply for a visitor visa to those countries with NCLEX centers are denied their application without a refund of the costly application fee. Those that manage to get a visa are further burdened by flight tickets to and fro the destination of the foreign test centers. The unlucky ones who could not pass the exam in the first sitting have to go through the excruciating process over again.

5.      A factsheet check from the NCLEX Quarterly Examination Statistics for the past five (5) years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022) shows that nurses from Nigeria constitute the highest NCLEX exam takers in Africa with the highest cumulative pass rates in the entire African continent. The proficiency of Nigerian nurses has also been alluded to by Canada. Just recently, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing and the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta included Nigeria amongst the seven selected countries that meet Canadian standards and entry-to-practice competencies, with NCLEX passing as a prerequisite to full licensing. This means that among all the African countries, Nigerian nurses should be prioritized for the NCLEX exam with the citing of an NCLEX center in Nigeria to ease the sufferings of the West Africa Nurses.

6.      Citing an NCLEX test center in Nigeria will be an easy process since the country already has authorized Prometric and Pearson Vue Testing centers offering Computer Based Test (CBT) for the United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council and on all IT international examinations for vendors like Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, CompTIA, Adobe, etc.

7.       As a critical stakeholder in the nursing profession in Nigeria, UGONSA is willing to offer any assistance to facilitate the process in terms of meeting with any government agency necessary to make the establishment of the NCLEX center possible. UGONSA is an association whose core value, among others, is to maintain excellence in nursing education and practice, improve the quality of nursing care rendered to clients and patients through research, and uphold the ethical tenets of nursing. Over the years, the association has helped prepare most of its members for writing NCLEX through its monthly scientific sessions organized in almost all the states in Nigeria. This undoubtedly contributed significantly to the good pass rates recorded by Nigerian nurses in NCLEX examinations over the years. The association therefore, considers it imperative to write to you for your consideration in establishing an NCLEX center in Nigeria in the spirit of equity and fairness.

8. For correspondence, please contact the association through her official email: gnan2ugonsa@gmail.com.

Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

 

Signed:

                                                                             

Nurse Ojo Opeyemi                                                                       Nurse Philip O. Eteng

National President                                                                             National Secretary

 

 Cc:

Adrian Guerrero, CPM. (The Treasurer, NCSBN Board)

Susan VanBeuge, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP. (Area I Director, NCSBN Board)

Lori Scheidt, MBA-HCM. ( Area II Director, NCSBN Board)

Karen C. Lyon, PhD, MBA, APRN, NEA-BC. (Area III Director, NCSBN Board)

Karen E. B. Evans, MSN, RN-BC, SD-CLTC, CLC. (Area IV Director, NCSBN Board)

Lori Glenn, DNP, CNM,C-EFM, RN. (Director-at-large, NCSBN Board).   

Sue A. Tedford, MNSc, APRN. (Director-at-large, NCSBN Board)

Carol Timmings, RN, MEd. (Director-at-large, NCSBN Board)


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Monday, 6 February 2023

UGONSA WRITES HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HEALTH ON SELECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPER PLACEMENT FOR GRADUATE NURSES

 

The Honourable Minister for Health,

Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH),

Federal Secretariat Phase III, Ahmadu Bellow Way,

Central Business District Abuja,

P.M.B.083 Garki, Abuja

Nigeria.

 

Attention:

Director, Human Resources FMOH

 

Sir,

SELECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CIRCULAR ON ENHANCED ENTRY POINT FOR BACHELOR OF NURSING SCIENCE (B.N.Sc.) GRADUATES: AN APPEAL FOR YOUR INTERVENTION

The National Executive Council (NEC) of University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), a professional association of nurses with a minimum first degree in Nursing (B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing), conveys the fraternal greetings and the appreciation of her members to you and all your staff.

2.      It could be recalled that the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HCSF) in a Circular Ref. No. HCSF/SPSO/ODD/NCE/CND.100/S.8/72 (Please refer to Annexure A) conveyed the approval of Enhanced Entry Point for B.N.Sc/B.Sc. Nursing holders by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) at its 43rd meeting held at Abuja, FCT, from 24th to 28th January, 2022. With the development, the entry point into the Nursing Officers’ cadre in the civil service for nurses with B.N.Sc/B.Sc. Nursing degree became Grade Level (GL) 10 (. i.e., CONHESS 09) effective from 28th January, 2022.

3.      Kindly also recall that in an earlier Circular from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Ref.No.B.63279/S.7/II/T/273 dated 24th April, 2002, (Please refer Annexure B) on “Adjustment of Salary Grade Level as a Result of Enhanced Entry Point (Base Grade level Adjustment) to a Cadre in the Civil Service"  unambiguously stated that "in order to stem the spate of agitation over adjustment of grades any time the base grade of any cadre in the Civil Service of the Federation is enhanced, Government has decided that adjustments should affect only the officers within the cadre whose positions fall below the new entry point; but such officers should retain the date of the adjustment as their date of seniority on the new grade, while serving officers who attained the new base grade and other grades above it by promotion or direct appointment will retain their original date of seniority on their respective grades”.

4.      The provision of the referenced circulars implies that while a fresh graduate of B.N.Sc/B.Sc. Nursing is appointed on GL10 (.i.e. CONHESS 09) post-NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) following the completion of an internship, those that are already in service but are still below the new entry point of CONHESS 09 should be adjusted to the new base grade effective from 28th January 2022 (. i.e., the approval date by the NCE) to maintain their seniority over other graduate nurses that were newly employed into the service after the release of the circular.

5.      Some worrisome development in the implementation of the circular compelled us to bring the issue to your esteemed attention. While many heads of institutions and facilities bluntly refused to implement the new circular, others are selectively implementing it with no regard to the provisions of the referenced extant circulars. Some heads of facilities strangely assert that "B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing" nurses who were employed before the effective date of the circular (.i.e., 28th January, 2022) are not eligible for the adjustment to the new base grade because they are already in service, while others, argues that the adjustment will only affect "B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing" nurses who show evidence of completion of an internship.

6.      While we advocate for the active participation of young graduates of B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing degree in the internship programme, especially those that graduated after 2016/2017 when internship for nurses was approved; we make a strong case for those that had graduated years before the approval of the one-year internship programme for nurses in 2016. They were already out of the school system or employed and so were not eligible to participate in the internship and should not be denied their due promotion/upgrade because of an internship program that was non-existent for nurses at the time they left school or when they were employed.

7.      An example of a hospital that blatantly refused to implement the circular is the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State. This they displayed by refusing to implement the said circular for the new nursing officers they employed after the circular had been released (please refer to Annexure C I&II herewith attached). This is despite bringing the attention of its management to the extant circulars.

8.      Also, it may interest you to note with displeasure that the management of the under-listed health institutions/facilities and many more have decided to selectively implement the circular as it seems comfortable for them. This selective implementation ranges from either refusal to implement the circular at all or refusal to upgrade those nurses with B.N.Sc. degree holders who have completed their internship and NYSC schemes, and were employed before the effective date of the circular (28th January, 2022) but are still below the new base grade (SGL10), to refusal to adjust nurses with B.N.Sc. degree who were employed before the approval of internship for nurses, and as such, could not participate in the scheme, but have completed one-year NYSC service as at the time of their employment but are still below the new base grade (SGL10).

These include:

        i.      Neuropsychiatirc Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State

      ii.      Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), Ekiti State

    iii.      Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    iv.      University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

      v.      Specialist Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State

    vi.      Fedreal Medical Center, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

  vii.      University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada , Federal Capital Territory (FCT),

viii.      Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State

    ix.      University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.

      x.      Federal Medical Center (FMC), Makurdi, Benue State,

    xi.      Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos State

  xii.      University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Enugu State. Etc.

 

PRAYERS:

We passionately request that you use your good office to intervene by

1.      Releasing a memo/circular to all heads of health institutions/facilities under your ministry which engages the services of nurses (B.N.Sc. nurses and Midwives) to commence full implementation of the circular as approved by NCE by placing eligible nurses on SGL.10 (CONHESS 9) without further delay or objection.

 

2.      Mandating heads of health institutions/facilities under your ministry to upgrade the "B.N.Sc./B.Sc.Nursing" degree holders who are still below GL 10 (.i.e., CONHESS 09) to the new base. This category of nurses were employed and had been in service before the approval of the internship scheme for nurses and so could not participate in the one internship programme, but have completed their one-year NYSC scheme before employment.

 

3.      Specifically mandating the management of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, to commence full implementation of the Enhanced Entry Point Circular on all deserving nurses with "B.N.Sc./B.Sc. Nursing" degree and adjustment of the grade level of those already in service that are still below the newly approved entry grade of SGL 10.

 

Please, accept the assurances of our highest regards.

 

Signed:

                                                                                                           

Nurse Ojo Opeyemi                                                                       Nurse Philip O. Eteng

National President                                                                               National Secretary

 

 

 

Cc:

The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Abuja,

Director of Nursing Services (DNS), Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja



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