A situation, which played out within one of the hospital’s units, has sparked renewed debate over the persistent assignment of non-nursing duties to nurses in Nigerian public hospitals, a practice many say undermines the profession and affects patient care.
Nurses at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, have raised concerns after being compelled to clean hospital floors and handle waste disposal following a strike by the hospital’s cleaners.
The situation, which played out within one of the hospital’s units, has sparked renewed debate over the persistent assignment of non-nursing duties to nurses in Nigerian public hospitals, a practice many say undermines the profession and affects patient care.
According to an account by a nurse in the affected unit, the absence of cleaning staff due to an ongoing strike led hospital management, through an acting unit supervisor, to compel nurses to take over cleaning responsibilities, including mopping floors and emptying waste bins.
“This is why nursing will never earn respect in the hospital setting in Nigeria,” the nurse lamented, describing the development as demoralising and inappropriate.
The nurse explained that the substantive unit head, who has been on leave since late November and is expected to resume on Monday, had earlier warned staff not to engage in duties outside their professional scope.
However, during her absence, the acting supervisor allegedly insisted that nurses perform the non-nursing tasks.
Following a meeting, the nurse said she openly informed colleagues and patients in the unit that she would no longer carry out duties unrelated to nursing care.
“I declared to all present, including the patients, that from now on, I won’t do any non-nursing job,” she said.
According to her account, the acting supervisor, who is said to be about 60 years old, proceeded to mop the floors and empty waste bins alone after some nurses refused to participate. Another nurse of the same rank reportedly joined in the refusal.
The nurse further disclosed that the unit’s National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) chair had earlier warned nurses against doing non-nursing jobs, emboldening some staff to resist the directive.
She noted that no disciplinary action was taken against her for refusing to clean, and that the matter may be escalated if similar pressure resumes when the unit head returns from leave.
The nurse called for collective action among nurses to restore professional boundaries in Nigerian hospitals.
“I’m also talking to young nurses like me to join in the fight to make nursing in Nigeria what it should be,” the nurse said.
A photograph circulating online shows nurses cleaning sections of OOUTH in Sagamu, underscoring the growing frustration within the workforce.
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