I have read with keen interest, the duplicitous and unholy article of SUPERDOC making round on social media. I never wanted to reply the egocentric doctor, but on a second thought, I decided to reply him so that the public will not have wrong notions about patient care in Nigeria.

Let me start by distinguishing between the role of a physician and that of a nurse in patient's care. While a physician focuses his attention on disease process, diagnosing and treating diseases/infections, the nurse focuses on patient's reaction to disease processes including the patient's physical/biological and psychosocial reactions to the disease process. By this definition, one would understand that the nurse's role in patient's care is more verse and complicated compared to that of a physician.

Let us now look at how patient's care is done in the public hospital. I will not disagree with SUPERDOC that what is usually in patient's mind when coming to the hospital is to see a doctor. He is correct because most patients lack knowledge of what happens in the public hospitals.

A NURSE AS THE FIRST AND THE LAST TO CARE FOR A PATIENT.
No matter the route of entry of a patient, whether it is in the A&E, or Outpatient department, the first to receive a patient is the nurse. He/She would take his/her first and quick history of a patient's problem and decides on what next to do. In some cases, he would ask the patient to go get a card or file depending on the first and quick history the nurse obtained. After obtaining a file, the nurse would check for the correctness of the information therein, record the patient's initial vital signs and physical assessment, and forward same file to the right doctor to clerk the patient. The doctor would determine the problem of such patient, whether the patient is to be admitted or discharged. After that, the nurse takes over the total care of the patient particularly if the patient is to be on admission while the doctor becomes a visitor to the patient, coming around to review medical orders and record in the file. Take note that in most cases in our public hospitals, a patient does not even know his doctor, but relies on interpretation of his care and information given to him by the nurse. If a patient has an investigation to run, he will call a nurse; if a patient is in pains, he will call a nurse; if a patient is unable to urinate, he will call nurse; if a patient is not breathing well, relatives will call nurse; the nurse would look for oxygen cylinder, put patient on oxygen therapy, elevate bed and give other necessary care and support before inviting the doctor who at that time might even be in his house. In most cases, the doctor would enter when the situation has been arrested, only to clerk patient, document medical orders and glorify himself. I cannot exhaust the role of the Angels in white, the Nightingale daughters here. Only God can reward nurses. Take note also that even when patient relatives are in frustrations probably because a doctor is not around to perform his own role, a nurse would receive slap from them. When a patient dies, the nurse will not say my care has ended. While the doctor would certify the patient dead and leaves in a hurry to avoid slap from the relatives, the nurse would first reassure and console the relatives, clean the corpse, make proper documentations about the death, as well as label the corpse appropriately for identification by the relatives of the deceased.
If a patient is discharged, the doctor would write discharge summary and take home drugs of the patient, then leaves the hospital in a hurry to his private clinic, while the nurse would sit down by the patient bedside to educate the patient on the need for compliance with the medication, follow up appointments, activity restrictions and give other necessary pieces of advice. Is it not clear that the Angels in white give the first and last care to a patient in the hospitals.

At the clinic, the nurse is also the first to see a patient and render initial care. The patient comes either on appointment, revisit or on first visit to the clinic. On his arrival, he would approach the nurse. The Angel in white would direct him on how to go and retrieve his file from the records. In some cases, the Angel would go for or with the patient especially the elderly patients. After that, the Angel would go through his file if it is revisit or take quick history of patient problem if it is first visit to identify the right place or room to send the patient for the doctor to see him. The nurse would also record the patient's vital signs as well as support the doctor in obtaining history particularly in cases of language barrier. On other cases, the patient may not understand the medical jargons and would rely on the nurse for interpretation. After seeing the doctor, the patient comes back to the nurse to receive an injection, dress his wound, send him for admission, or do catheterization for him. In some cases, the nurse would sit with the patient and make him understand his illness, the management processes and the need for compliance with medical and nursing regimens. From the nurses table, the patient goes to the pharmacy to get his drugs, comes to the nurse again. At this time to learn how to take his medications or receive an injection.

Fellow Nigerians, is it not clear from this few points that patient's care starts and ends with the nurse contrary to what SUPERDOC wrote.
GOD BLESS THE ANGELS IN WHITE.


Proudly A NURSE

Not all doctors are good; some of them are egoistic, and they do not treat patients well. On the other hand, walk in doctor nyc is there to share the experience with others so that they know.

There was a time when I had phobia of doctors and medicines all that but after a long time when I read this post, I did not feel anything bad. Let me publish this post at https://www.carolinademolitionservices.com/ magazine.I am sure people would like this. Thanks.