According to Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (2005) , the detailed history of a
profession that combines scientific principle , technical skills and personal
comparison can’t be precisely relayed but records hold that nursing came
to limelight in 1854 when
the mother of professional nursing , Florence Nightingale started the
battlefield with other 38 nurses and cared for the sick and injured
men during the Crimean war in England. Here persistence dedicated services, day and
night , experiences paid off by making
her famous and recognized as a lady
with lamp. Her metric service resulted to the beginning of professional
nursing.
Though, nursing in the early days was primarily a
family matter with mothers caring for
their own families or neighbors
assisting each other.
In 1880, the status of nursing was greatly improved
and many women including religious
order were now involved in patients care. During the era, there are many school
of nursing for trained nurse throughout Europe with the
first school established in 1836 by parker
Theorder Fliedner in his parisn in Kavesworth Germany through the
influence of Florence Nightingale the Kareworth school.
In 1882, came the first movement for the recognition
and registration of nurse.
International body were formed Emirgare Royal Births
Nurses Council of nurses established in 1893 and international council of nurse was
established with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and branches all over the world. Also in 1926 , the British college of nurses was founded.
The first African American graduate nurse, Mary E. Mahoney, who promoted
integration and better working condition, for black patients and healthcare
workers.
Though nursing came to Nigerian through the British
colonial master. They provided services and medical care for wounded soldiers
at the forth with hospital later the
first nursing home in Nigeria in Jericho, Ibadan by the government of the
British colonial master
Later on, missionaries and their wives came to
supplement government effort by setting
up mission homes, dispensaries etc and commence the training of nurses
in Nigeria, though language barriers, there was
no formal training but on the job
acquisitions skills and practical
aspect are been rendered by nursing surgery
The regional government in Nigeria began the training
of nurses by setting individual regional
standard in 1949, the school of nursing, Eleyele was
established to facilitate the training of nurses, later in 1952 ,
the university college hospital Ibadan
started the training of nurses in a
higher standard. In 1949, the nursing council of Nigeria was established to complement the efforts to the various training bodies and creating standards for
nurse.
By 1965, department of nursing was established in the
university of Ibadan to commence a degree programme in Nigeria. Later on
university of Ife in 1972 and
university of Nigeria Enugu also started degree in 1983 , at present all the states
in Nigeria has one or more school
of nursing, midwifery and kind of post basic schools. More degree awarding
institution has been granted the licencse to
produce degree holder in nursing. Among them are Ahmadu Bello university, zairia. University of Calabar, Calabar, Ladoke
Akintola University (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso.
Also Private University, Babcok university, Disan Remo:
Leadcity university, Madonna university among others started degree in nursing.
Nurses, according to the ICN code of ethics as reviewed in 2005, have four
fundamental responsibilities to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore
health and to alleviate suffering. The need to nursing is universal
inherent in nursing is respect for human
rights, including cultural rights, the right to life and choice, to dignity and to be treated with
respect. Nursing care is respectful and unrestricted by considerations of age,
colour, creed, culture, disability or illness, gender, sexual orientation,
nationality, polities, race or social status.
Nurses render health services to the individual, the
family and the community and coordinate their services with those of related
groups. Before 1981 , nursing was adjudged
a vocation in Nigeria, but by virtue
of the industrial arbitration panel (IAP ) award of 1981, nursing got
the recognition of a full-fledge profession
Arising from that pronouncement, the association has
been working with the N & MCN to take nursing to the highest pedestal of
professionalism and one of the ways
is through nursing education reforms.