Nurses protest guidelines for verification of new certificate

Nurses affiliated with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT chapter, staged a protest on Monday against the recently issued verification certification guidelines by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).

The NMCN recently issued a circular stipulating that nurses must possess a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience, counted from the date of permanent practicing license issuance, before being eligible to obtain a verification certificate.

On February 7, the NMCN released a circular revising the guidelines for requesting verification of certificates for nurses and midwives, initially issued in December 2023 after deactivating the council verification portal. The circular was signed by the council's registrar, Faruk Abubakar.

The circular also outlined that applicants must pay a non-refundable fee per application for verification to foreign boards of nursing, covering courier services to the applicant’s institution(s) of training, place of work, and foreign board. Additionally, a letter of good standing is required from the applicant’s place(s) of work and last nursing training institution, directly addressed to the Registrar/CEO, NMCN.

The council emphasized that it would not accept such letters through the applicant. Active practicing licenses with a minimum of six months until expiration are also mandatory, with the processing of verification applications taking at least six months.

The implementation of the guidelines is set to commence on March 1, 2024.

During the protest, nurses voiced their discontent, asserting that the new guidelines impede their freedom to pursue career opportunities. They demanded the reversal of the rule and urged the council to address welfare, salary scale, staff shortages, and other rights.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans, nurses peacefully expressed their grievances within the NMCN premises in Abuja. Some placards bore messages such as “Address unemployment among nurses,” “No to verification rules,” and “Protect nurses, protect healthcare.”

Cynthia Adeyeri, speaking on behalf of the nurses, emphasized the need for improved welfare and urged the government to prioritize nurses' concerns.

Isioma Alexis echoed the sentiment, stating that there is no correlation between obtaining a letter of good standing and acquiring the verification certificate. Nurses demanded the reversal of the circular to its previous state.

In response, the council's registrar, Mr. Abubakar, assured the nurses that their concerns would be addressed promptly, promising a response within a few days.

As the nurses dispersed, they were hopeful that their grievances would be heard and addressed satisfactorily.