From Obinna Odogwu, Awka

Very soon, some categories of patients in Anambra State might not need to visit the hospital to receive treatment.

This is because, at Iyienu Mission Hospital in Ogidi, Idemmili North Local Government Area of the state, the management of its School of Nursing said that it has evolved new ways to nurse a patient using technological gadgets. And this knowledge, it said, would be impacted on its students.

Principal of the school, Mrs Josephine Nduka, stated this during the 40th matriculation ceremony of the school where 68 new nursing students were capped.

She assured her students that they would be prepared as future generation nurses with intensive training in Telenursing and Nursing Informatics; and that the school would stop at nothing to give them the best training they deserve.

This Telenursing, according to her, is the use of technology to provide nursing services through computers and mobile devices, apps, video technology and remote patient monitoring instead of healthcare being limited to in-person clinical settings.

She said that in the present generation where technology and ICT reign, her students need to be taught how patients could access their physicians and healthcare providers from any location.

Nduka said that the school was prepared to harvest the gains of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and deploy same to the practice of nursing and midwifery.

She revealed that the institution has remained one of the best nursing schools in Nigeria which has the reputation for graduating nursing students with high pedigree; and emptying same into the labour market both within and outside the country.

“This school is digitalised, in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) pattern. It gladdens my heart to say that the school has maintained a lead in the results of the final professional qualifying examinations of the NMCN in Anambra State and beyond. The school made a 100 percent pass with 18 credits in December 2019,”  Nduka stated.

Chairman of the event, Mr. Ken Dickson, in his speech, described nursing informatics as a field of nursing that incorporates nursing, computer and information sciences to maintain and develop medical data and systems to support the practice of nursing and to improve patient care outcomes.

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“Gone were the days of emergency medicine or nursing when nurses were only trained to assist a doctor. This millennium, the emphasis is on ICT. The COVID-19 and post COVID-19 era has further proved the importance of Telehealth and informatics.

“I hope that nursing schools all over Nigeria will embrace Telenursing and Nursing informatics in order to improve our healthcare delivery services,” Dickson said.

Director for Nursing Services in the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Mrs Uche Udeze, in her keynote address, said that although 68 students passed the PTS out of 128 students who enrolled, there were more bridges to cross.

Udeze, an alumnus of the school, however, charged the new students to be fervent in prayers, and also adhere strictly to the rules and regulations guiding the operations of the school.

The administrator of Iyienu Mission Hospital, Rev. Tochukwu Okwuchukwu, and Head of Clinical Services, Dr. Henry Obidimma, in their separate remarks, stated that the institution was highly equipped and could compete favourably with several schools of nursing outside the country. They charged the students to study hard if they must come out successfully.

A special guest, Sir Sylvester Ogoegbulem, Provost, College of Nursing, St. Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital, Onitsha, who was represented by Mr. Christopher Mbagwu told the new students that nursing was a noble profession, one which has to do with human lives. He charged them to be passionate about saving lives.

Parents and guardians at the event, some of who included Ken Dickson, Chief Joseph Ebede, Chief Digwe Emeka Mbamalu, Eugene Onuora Egisco, Uche Onyia, Mr. Obumneme Mojama, and others expressed their joy that their children and wards passed the PTS to be part of the capping ceremony.

They advised their wards to be of good behaviour and take their studies seriously in order to come out in flying colours. They stated their readiness to give them all necessary support till the end of their schooling.

Two of the matriculating students, Ebuka Onuora and Millicent Chinonso, promised not to let down their parents who, expectedly, would be providing them their needs throughout their stay in the school.

The matriculating students were later administered with an oath even as there was a cutting of matriculation cake and capping of the students.