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Showing posts with label Leadership In Nursing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership In Nursing. Show all posts

December 27, 2018

Meet The Founder Of NJO, How He Started And What Has Kept Him Going

December 27, 2018 0
Meet the founder of Nursing Job Opportunities, Nurse Abiodun Oluwatobi. In this interview he talks of what prompted him to embark on this nursing journey and how he created NJO, which is today the number one platform in Nigeria that helps nurses in their careers. 
Enjoy your read! 

 FNA: Can we meet you?
Mr Abiodun: Abiodun Oluwatobi is my Name. I'm a registered Emergency Nurse cum American Heart Association Instructor



FNA: What school did you finish from?
Mr Abiodun: Did my general Nursing at Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing, Lantoro Abeokuta. And my specialised training at National Orthopedic Hospital Igbobi Lagos.

FNA: What prompted you to embark on this nursing journey?
Mr Abiodun: My Dad actually did encouraged me too. He was treated by a Male Nurse at  the hospital and he made some enquires on my behalf. Prior to my school admission I never knew they were Male Nurses, but I loved the idea sold to me then that I can easily become a doctor after the training. I'm glad I started the journey, so far it been rewarding.

FNA: This is encouraging, what has been the challenges you have faced so far in this journey?
Mr Abiodun: Challenges are must encounter in life. The important thing is for one to have the capacity to overcome and learn from them.

FNA: How do you cope with patients who try to address you as a medical doctor or patients who think you chose the wrong course?
Mr Abiodun: Have encountered many of them to mention a few.
Stereotype been a male Nurse, Poor remuneration, Quackery etc.
This is unavoidable most especially in developing environment. I let them know I'm a specialist in my profession not only by words but actions.

FNA: What is it like to be part of the American Heart Association?
Mr Abiodun: Been part of the instructor Network is mentally tasking as you have to be updated and learned. I need to mention also that it financially rewarding and not fixed. They are always room to learn more. I have been opportuned to meet other professionals instructors and travel beyond my comfort zone for training.

FNA: There are several opportunities that young nurses can participate in,  but some of them don't know them and for those who know it,  they don't know how to go about it
What is your take on this?
Mr Abiodun: Yes they're many opportunities, but location/exposure can be barrier sometimes.


FNA: What inspired you to create NJO?
Mr Abiodun: Many times I'm asked this question I think back to the day I created the 1at group. It was a vivid Sunday afternoon.
Truth is that I created it out of desperation for information and ensuring my colleagues would have assessed to them Asap. But only God can inspire one to that capacity.

FNA: When did you create NJO and how has the journey been so far?
Mr Abiodun: Dec 4th 2016. It has been two years. I would lie if i say it been good News all through, but I must say have learnt massively, gain amazing opportunities and the highlight of it is when Nurses share the Good News with me that they got a job or opportunities. We're the first of its kind for Nigerian Nurses and we birthed others. Many thinks to NJO Nurses.

FNA: Wow,  this is inspiring. What are the three lessons you will teach nurses who intend to go into entrepreneurship?
Mr Abiodun: 1. Start with what you have.
2. Start small.
3. Start Now!

FNA: If you have the opportunity to change anything in nursing?
What will it be?
Mr Abiodun: Change the fact that RNs will spend at least 3-5years to obtain BSN in Nigeria.

FNA: What is you take on the use of social media and nurses?
Mr Abiodun: I encourage many of my peers to harness social media opportunities. With a phone connected to the internet, you have the world at your fingertip. That the older generation didn't have.

FNA: What would you advise young nurses?
Mr Abiodun: I would advise my peers to;
1. Have multiple sources of income.
2. Invest heavily on themselves.
3. Make positive use of social media to harness there potentials.
4. Think outside the box.

FNA: Thank you sir for honoring this interview
We the team of FNA really appreciate you
Mr Abiodun: Thanks.

If you enjoyed your read drop a comment, watch out for more exciting interviews that will come your way in 2019.
You can also nominate your celebrity nurse to be inteviewed. 
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March 04, 2018

Positioned For Leadership: A Tool For Professional Relevance In Nursing

March 04, 2018 0
Nursing leaders in the health care environment need to understand the influence of various leadership styles on nurses. Leadership styles may impact the overall discipline of nursing.
Eze Victor Obinna, RN (Author Of Positioned For Leadership)

Nursing leaders who are able to inspire, engage, and positively influence nurses at various levels can help change nursing attitudes,  behaviours and make an impact on job and career satisfaction, engagement, improved quality care and patient outcomes.

Consequently, alternate styles of leadership, such as abusive leadership styles, creating, supporting or being indifferent about  conditions that  could be detrimental to nursing practice or to nurses who are starting their careers can make it feel like hell practicing nursing.

Leadership skills encompassing bempowerment and authentic leadership can impact a nurses behaviors and professional interactions. These attitudes and behaviours would not only shape the discipline, but will impact the care provided to patients and families.

The discipline of nursing in Nigeria has struggled with a lack of professional identity. In addition, there is a lack of research on professionalism and professional identity of nursing in Nigeria.

Nursing behaviors can impact overall professionalism; both formal curriculum changes, as well as strategic leadership styles, can help enhance and influence a nurses sense of professionalism and professional identity.

When I say Nursing leaders; not just only your director of nursing service, CNO, NMCN registrar, NANNM national and state presidents. I dont mean those occupying a leadership position in our professional or regulatory associations, I mean all of us,  you!!

Yes, every registered professional nurse was trained to be a leader.  So, once you start looking for where our challenges are coming from, re-evaluate yourself first.


Professionalism in nursing encompasses many elements. Some of these elements are;
¶ Competence
¶ Accountability
¶ Credibilty
¶ Trust
¶ Truthfulness and
¶ Responsibility


This is why professionalism and the way Registered Nurses present themselves are so crucial to the well being of patients. A Registered Nurse lacking responsibility, competence, and credibility in knowledge is likely to not contribute much to the recovery stage of a patient.

The 6 elements above are arguable core leadership qualities.

Registered Nurses are one of the key contributors to todays health care industry. They are the ones who provide around the clock bedside care, administer medications, provide psychiatric mental comforts, and are probably the people you see the most during a hospital stay. We all are aware of these facts.

This is why Registered Nurses go through gruesome educational training, and are held with high expectations from other health care team members, physicians, caregivers, and most importantly, the patient and their relatives.

For us to continue being relevant in the health care sector, we must continue to embrace our professional responsibilities and etiquette.

True leadership is found in service to humanity, a true leadership style is leadership that depicts service and not just occupying a position that entitles you to command respect not because you have the qualities of a charismatic leader, but because of the position you occupy.


Above all, we must develop a mindset that while dedicating much of our life to serving others, we shouldnt let other players in the health care sector determine our fate, We have given them so much leverage to do that; its time for a change!!

We should also be there in the board room making decisions to attain professional relevance in our field,and also embrace the media, internet, web or social media platform to reorientate the public about nursing, its values, core mission and misconception. This is what leadership as a tool for professionalism entails; it involves even the obscurest professional nurse practicing in a community health center standing out as a nurse leader, advocate, manager and care giver.

Leadership in nursing shouldnt  be about the very insignificant few who occupies insignificant (pardon my language)  positions in the health care sector and society  but the individual disposition of every professional nurse towards nursing practice and our professional growth (lets be selfish be here, we are the major stakeholders in the health care sector for God's sake).

The last time I planned featuring on a radio program during the international nurses week,  I was already booked to feature in Today fm and Treasure Fm PH, I contacted some key nursing leaders in Rivers state chapter to join me as guests to the radio station and after two weeks, I was later informed that they couldnt make it with reason that they must obtain permission from the director of nursing service rivers state before they could feature on air as nurses or on behalf of nurses.

My team tried reaching out to some registered nurses in UPTH, we were turned down as they preferred celebrating the day with their colleagues in the hospital rather than showing up in any public platform to talk about nursing.

Thats why we have a whole lot of misconception about nurses in Nigeria. I later featured with two of my colleagues who attended my school; that event proved to me that we had a leadership problem where no one wants to be accountable.

How does possessing effective leadership skills and qualities listed above  help to enhance better health care delivery outcome?

In any healthcare setting, Trust is extremely important in building rapport.

Credibility is having the quality of being trusted and believed in.

Having an abundance of knowledge builds your credibility.

With credibility, a Registered Nurse could do their tasks successfully and efficiently, which makes them competent.


Competency is an expected level of performance that integrates knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment.

Naturally, having credibility and competence would make a Registered Nurse a responsible person, which means they are accountable.


Being accountable is what leadership entails- accountable to patients health outcome, accountable to health care resource utility, accountable to the outcome of interventions made by other health care providers, accountable to everything in and outside the health care sector.

What makes a Registered Nurse a professional?
Effective leadership does!! Leadership is about being accountable!!

A nurse is a professional when he/she maintains accountability for their work, develop good clinical -judgment, strengthens leadership competence, establish high ethical standards, refine therapeutic communication, and educate the public about health issues (we must learn to use the media and social media platforms).

Professionalism in nursing will always be an integral role in what makes a good nurse a professional.
How do we embrace leadership?

The competition and struggle for supremacy amongst Nurses is hindering progress in the profession, nevertheless, possessing core leadership skills is a crucial complement to clinical practice.

Nurses are in a unique position to not only provide bedside care but also to advocate for change within the leadership arena and the community at large.


Every nursing professional should know how to participate in a healthy democracy and engage in change at a political level. Many nursing professionals today have a clear focus and understanding of individual health, but most have not been exposed to their role of advocacy and the political agenda in the nursing profession and society at large.

One of the goals of this session is to encourage registered nurses to think about the influence that health professionals, especially Registered Nurses, can have as key leaders and influencers, not just in the health care sector but in our Nation, with the hope that professional nurses will have an increased understanding of being engaged in political discussions and feel comfortable to engage in politics at the local, state and federal levels in the future, which will serve as a light that the next generation of professional nurses would uphold to stop the marginalization of nurses in the health care sector and the society at large.

But before we continue with the discourse, lets ask ourselves these questions;

* Where are the nurses in the decision-making processes of government? Government is even too far; where are the nurses in the decision making board of our community/rural based health centers?

* Where is the evidence that they are doing things right or are being listened to?

* Why are there so few nurses visible in the political arena, either in appointed or electoral positions?

* Why is it that when nurses are at the core of healthcare delivery, their contribution to policy development and decision-making are marginalised or at best often ignored?

* Why do politicians always describe nursing as a profession not worthy of delving into the political arena, evidenced by the event of a Nigerian Nurse and politician who was denied a political appointment by the Senate because he was a Nurse?And why do we let them?

Regardless of the multiple factors limiting the nursing professions potential impact on politics, the fact remains that nurses have vital role to play in the development and implementation of healthcare policy. 

As the largest medical profession in the world, nurses should be leading the way in redesigning the healthcare system. But in order to do so, they will need to partner with members of other medical professions. For this to happen, nurses must be skilled in patient care as well as in interdisciplinary teamwork, informatics, politics and technology, implementing evidenced-based practice and quality improvement.

All too often, nurses become frustrated by policies affecting nursing practice, particularly when those policies are written by individuals with limited healthcare knowledge and experience. This frustration often leads to negativity, disillusionment, bitterness, and burn-out.

Instead, nurses should channel their frustrations into making a positive difference in their profession. As nurses, we need to think of policy as something we can influence, not just something that happens to us.

The truth is, any nurse can influence policy and politics at the local, state, and federal levels. Locally, nurses can become politically active by assuming leadership positions in the healthcare system or contacting elected officials about legislation affecting the industry. Nurses can obtain formal training in politics, become involved in state councils and committees, or even run for local office. And something as simple as exercising the right to vote can impact healthcare policy.


At the state and federal level, nurses can get involved in policy and politics by joining a professional nursing organization. These organizations often have lobbyists that bring nursing issues to the federal law making chambers such as the senate.
Nurses can also write their state representatives regarding healthcare policy. Nurses can undertake internships with elected officials to personally work on matters affecting healthcare.

And nurses can even run for state offices!!!
Nurses need to participate actively in policy making in order to effect change; Nursing advocates, professionals, organizations and educational experts need to encourage political activism.

Nurses and Student Nurses participation in policy and politics is being affected by several factors such as Lack of awareness, inadequate skills, and little opportunity for involvement, which are just a few factors.

Another barrier is the limited formal health care policy education in nursing. Time and resources are further obstacles to the nursing professions participation in politics. Additionally, studies show that nurses are not given sufficient support to generate the evidence needed to influence healthcare policy.

Nursing schools need to include healthcare policy education as part of the curriculum, as well as encourage some level of political involvement from nursing students.

Furthermore, the faculty of nursing schools should also participate in policy changes, thereby acting as role models for their students.


Finally, employers need to provide staff nurses with the time, resources, and opportunities to influence local, state and federal policy. After all, healthcare legislation ultimately affects us all.

Preparing professional nurses for community-based practice involving political activism and civic engagement requires developing and sustaining a philosophy that supports service learning and community partnerships.


The concepts of service, community, collaboration, empowerment, and political activism are essential foundations. These ideas are inherent in educationally preparing nurses to meet the healthcare needs of individuals and communities.

Many nursing students, as well as practicing nurses seem either intimidated by or uninterested in the political aspects of professional nursing practice. If nurses dont stand up for issues that are important to them, those with competing interests in healthcare may be the only ones whose voices are heard.

By joining their voices together, Nigerian nurses can influence the policy and politics that affect healthcare.

Marquis and Huston define politics as the art of using legitimate power wisely.

The nursing profession has significant power to profoundly impact healthcare policy on a global scale.

Additionally, the nurses of today are younger, more educated, and more diverse; they are forming movements like Fellow Nurses Africa,  Nursing world Nigeria, Nurses on Air, Lead Nurse Africa, Nursing Revolution etc.
They bring more energy, more ideas, and more ingenuity to the nursing profession. Perhaps they will even bring more political activism.
Yes, they can!!

The best time to get involved in political activism is now, we can only get better and grow stronger as a professional body once we recognize, appreciate and committed to the role each and every one of us have to play to lift us high up to the pinnacle of political excellence.
Yes, we can!!

I'm Eze Victor Obinna, Nursing is my profession, our profession and we can only make progress once we decide to utilize the tool of personal and  professional development.
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