Nurses’ week: NANNM tasks nurses on negligence, attitude to patients’ care

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has enjoined nurses in the country to tackle the issues of negligence and attitudes in patients’ care. President of the association, Comrade Haruna Mamman, gave the advice Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of the Midwife and the flag-off of the […]

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has enjoined nurses in the country to tackle the issues of negligence and attitudes in patients’ care.

President of the association, Comrade Haruna Mamman, gave the advice Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of the Midwife and the flag-off of the 2026 International Nurses Week celebration. The theme of this year’s commemoration is ‘Our Nurses, Our Future; Caring for Nurses, strengthens Economies’.

He said these issues have at times tarnished their professional image, adding, “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the standards we uphold are just not ideals but realities that every nurse and midwife embraces in his or practice.”

Mamman said to this end, the association is dedicated to driving initiatives that promote professionalism, continuing education and ethical standards within its ranks.

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He said, “Let us therefore be the change makers in healthcare, inspiring trust and confidence in those we serve.  We have opportunities to advocate for policies and environments that empower us, enhance our capabilities and ultimately lead to better health outcomes for all Nigerians.”

The NANNM president said the vital roles that nurses and midwives play include but are not limited to: preventing maternal and infant mortality, promoting maternal and child health, caring for the sick 24/7, advocating for accessibility for quality healthcare and enhancing the overall well-being of communities, among others.

He added that the theme of this year’s nurses’ week highlights how crucial and significant it is to promote nurses’ and midwives’ health and wellness.

He said the theme calls for immediate funding and workable solutions to safeguard nurses and midwives from emotional, mental and physical difficulties while making sure that they are respected, valued and adequately supported.

He said, “Nurses and midwives remain the framework of the healthcare system, providing essential care and support through every stage of life. Our professional versatility, dedication, compassion and resilience, especially in the face of challenges no doubt deserve appreciation and recognition.

“The theme also reminds us that nurses are not just essential to healthcare systems, they are doubtlessly drivers of national growth, productivity and resilience. Investing in nurses therefore implies investment in human capital and economic development.”

The Acting Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Ndagi Alhassan, said there are approximately 29 million nurses in the world currently, representing 60% of all global healthcare professionals.

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of a potential shortage of nine million healthcare workers by 2030, with nurses bearing the brunt of the impending challenge at 4.5 million nurses’ shortage worldwide.

He said, “This is not merely a healthcare crisis; it is an economic one.”

Alhassan said nursing professionals face unprecedented challenges with many experiencing burnouts.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic greatly exposed the fragility of the country’s healthcare workforce, pushing nurses to unprecedented levels of physical and emotional exhaustion.

“The pandemic laid bare the consequences of neglecting our health workforce. Nurses were exposed to various trauma, insufficient PPE, and long hours. The caring nature of Nurses and call to service made them endure, care and save lives despite the unimaginable challenges,” he stated.

He stated that the country must make serious investments in the nursing workforce by doing the following:

-Improved salaries and benefits: This is germane to retain talent and reduce migration from low-income to high-income countries.

-Expanded training and education: particularly in underserved regions, to ensure we develop a diverse and well-distributed nursing workforce.

-Safe working conditions: with manageable workloads, mental health support, and proper staffing ratios.

-Inclusion in decision-making: This is important in order to transform nurses from just caregivers, to co-creators of health policy and reform.

-Professional growth: Continuous education programmes, advanced specialisation opportunities, and adequate mental health support.

-Workplace transformation: Competitive compensation, safe working conditions, flexible scheduling, and clear career progression pathways.

-Global health security: Recognising nurses as frontline warriors in pandemic response and public health interventions.

-Revamped healthcare policy as a roadmap to change.

He said it was also important to increase healthcare budget allocations for nursing education; governments should prioritise health workforce financing in national budgets and recovery plans, and that donors and private sector partners should support sustainable models of nurse education and innovation.