A year ago, St. Nicholas hospital became the first private hospital in Nigeria to accept graduate nurse interns and today we celebrate the 10 nurses as they have completed their program with us. We wish them greater things ahead.
Here is a speech by the former CNO, Mrs Funlola Sorunke to the newly graduated interns;
My darling interns, this is to say many congratulations to you today, at the completion of your one year internship.
Though it was not easy to gain the accreditation for St. Nicholas Hospital, I have to thank you for giving me the opportunity to go through the process. You see, before some of you started knocking on the hospital’s door, to be accepted for internship, I didn’t know what the whole thing was for. Actually, the fact that you have to pay to go to university for a nursing course was news to me. The chance to serve you, by gaining for you the process to become a fully fledged nurse, has been one of life’s many privileges for me. One day, when I am old, and sitting in my rocking chair, when I remember you all, it will be with a smile on my face.
First of all, our MD, Dr Dapo Majekodunmi should be greatly thanked and appreciated. During a time when times were hard for all hospitals, he agreed to invest in my erstwhile pursuit of “doing good for Nigeria and yourselves”. Without his generosity, this program would have been impossible.
Such thanks and appreciation should go to all Exco colleagues, but especially Dr Bamgboye, our Clinical Director, Ms Delice Claud-Ennin, our General Manager and Mr Diran Famakinwa, our Chief Finance Officer.
Remember that they all attended the welcome meeting held for you, in order to make you feel that you belong to SNH. Many were times, over the past few months, that I would go to them for guidance and advice for your matters( please clap for them).
It will be remiss of me if I do not give a shout-out to Matron Ojikutu and Maduemezia for their constant advice during the application for accreditation process, and for putting up with me whenever I ask them to move nurses around in order for you to be exposed to various experiences across all hospital wards.
Sisters Ogungbenro and Adeleye, you know I love you both dearly. Thank you for buying into my dream of what I was trying to achieve. I gave you so much to do, especially in the early stages for Sister Ogungbenro and at the latter stages, we both abandoned Sister Adeleye to finish up the work. In your own time, you visited the girls when they were on outside placements , in order to ensure that everything is well and for that I am thankful.
St. Nicholas Hospital is blessed with such insightful and hardworking nurses and Healthcare Assistants, who see their colleagues as family. With hindsight, I can now say that I will remember some of the disagreements with fondness.
As a little sideline, and to express how some silent members of staff view this internship program, Nurse Michael Agboeze bought me a present during the week you started, to thank me for getting you started, though he did not have a family member nor friend apply. How selfless is that. That is how much SNH staff show love to each other as families do.
Last but not least, I have to thank you all, for your perseverance. It has been a difficult year, and this new normal is sometimes painful but let’s thank God for life.
I am glad that none of you left halfway through the program, even when times were tough. I learnt a lot from the psychology of covid essays that I asked you to write. You are still in a better place, for now, London started another one month lockdown from yesterday and the weather is freezing cold. Hmmmmmm.
I hope you get your nursing licenses soon, and go out to practice what you have learnt. As I have always said to you, the patient needs is paramount every time. If they have a choice, they don’t want to meet nor need you. They should be treated with respect, even when they are being difficult. I am not saying that you should accept abuse, but with experience and time, you will learn how to deal with difficult situations and persons.
Go out and proclaim St. Nicholas Hospital’s name with pride and let your attitude and behaviour show that you have worked in a hospital with high predigree.
God bless you and yours, and may your future be bright.
Funlola M. Sorunke
Former CNO.
QUALITY CARE ALWAYS
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