The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has inducted 92 graduates of the Faculty of Nursing Science, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) into the nursing profession.
The induction took place on Thursday during the university’s 11th induction ceremony for nursing graduates, held on the institution’s campus.
The Registrar of the council, Alhaji Ndagi Alhassan, who administered the oath of allegiance to the inductees, urged them to demonstrate compassion, professionalism and dedication in the discharge of their duties.
Represented by Mr Aliu Adamu, Alhassan congratulated the graduates on attaining a major milestone in their professional careers and commended the Founder and Chancellor of the university, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), for his investment in education.
‘I sincerely congratulate the parents and guardians of the inductees for their commitment, support, and contributions both morally and financially towards the remarkable achievement of the inductees in this institution.
‘Today marks a significant milestone in your journey as you are embarking on your professional career. Be dedicated to compassion, caring, and commitment to the well-being of others’, he added
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, urged the new nurses to embrace competence, innovation and global best practices to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare sector.
She noted that nurses remain central to healthcare delivery, particularly at a time when the world is facing emerging diseases, climate-related health challenges and pandemics.
Olarinde also disclosed that the university had approved an Artificial Intelligence policy to guide the ethical use of AI in learning, research and innovation.
‘In a world confronted by complex health challenges, climate shocks, emerging diseases, and global pandemics, the role of the nurse has become more indispensable than ever before. At ABUAD, we strongly affirm that Nursing remains the mother of Medicine and the heartbeat of every functional healthcare system.
‘Just yesterday, the Senate approved an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy for the institution, making us a leading institution in Nigeria to have adopted the ethical use and implementation of AI in learning, research and innovation’, she added
Delivering the induction lecture titled ‘Nursing Beyond the Bedside: Leading Practice, Education and Research in the AI Era,’ a Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing at the University of Ibadan, Prof Beatrice Ohaeri, said empathy remained an indispensable attribute of every nurse despite advances in artificial intelligence.
She noted that while AI had transformed healthcare delivery, it could not replace compassion and human connection, urging the inductees to embrace emerging technologies without compromising the profession’s core values.
‘You cannot be a nurse if you lack empathy. Nurses must actively engage in AI-driven development while maintaining the professional core values of compassion, intimacy and care,’ she scare,’ she said.