Nigerian Nurses Take Professional Rebranding Cause to the Next Level by Josiah Jackson-Okesola, a mental health nurse clinician
Nigerian Nurses Take Professional Rebranding Cause to the Next Level
On Saturday September 2nd 2017, all roads led to the School of Nursing, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, for the Final Auditions of the Nurses on Air Generation Next Talent Hunt Contest, a sort of preparatory phase of the ongoing professional rebranding and nurses-media partnership project being championed by Nigerian nurses.
The event, the first of its kind ever organized by nurses in Africa, expectedly generated a lot of excitement among African nurses on the social media platforms since it details were made public over 6 weeks ago. The epoch-making event was put together by Nurses on Air, Africa’s foremost nurses’ media broadcasting powerhouse. The occassion is part of an ongoing rebranding project currently executed by nurses, from Nurses and for nurses with a view to changing public perception of the profession, making the voice of nurses heard, transforming health behaviours through public and media engagement and contributing to a reduction in the country's national burden of disease.
According to Mr. Josiah Jackson-Okesola, a mental health nurse clinician, health advocate, media broadcaster and Founder of Nurses on Air, “It has been observed that over the years, public relations packaging as well as media reportage and representation have not been favorable to Nigerian nurses. The Nigerian public currently holds various misconceptions about the works of nurses and who they really are.” He added: “Nursing image in Nigeria suffers chronic bastardization, professional misidentification, undeserved public condemnation and damaging media misrepresentation. The deafening silence of nurses themselves in the last three decades has not helped matters. Until we stand up, speak out and take drastic actions to put things in the right perspective as nurses, nothing much will change”.
He reasoned that the media sometimes lament on nurse’s inaction about educating the media and the public on the details of their works. The Nurses on Air platform, rather than castigate the media for its role in the misrepresentation of the nursing profession, has decided to take up the huge responsibility of teaming up with local and international media, relevant partners, nursing bodies, representatives and notable leaders, NGOs, corporate bodies and all reputable stakeholders to change the status quo.
The “Generation Next” Talent Hunt Audition Contest is part of the revolutionary move to correct the heartbreaking impressions and empower nurses to better serve Nigerians in their most resourceful states.
Speaking prior to the event about the relevance of the event, he revealed that “the contest is part of the organization’s calculated efforts at discovering, nurturing and inspiring a generation of highly gifted, extraordinarily talented, scientifically intelligent but art-oriented nurses who can execute the Nurses on Air media advocacy and public enlightenment projects, among which is a strictly “nurses cast” massive TV project geared toward unprecedented public enlightenment, health education and professional rebranding.”
He disclosed that out of 161 Nigerian nurses who registered to be part of the professional rebranding project, about 70 selected housemates, professional nurses with amazing talents in Drama and Arts, Script Writing, Poetry, Public Speaking, Story Telling, News Broadcasting and Reportage, Music, Dance, Comedy, Graphic Arts and Media Productions were picked after thorough screening. These were then subjected to further rigorous screening exercise over a 3-week period before being put up for selection at the finals of the just concluded Auditions.
Mr. Josiah Jackson-Okesola, who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Nurses on Air further stated that the ongoing nurses-media public enlightenment and professional rebranding campaign by Nigerian nurses, spearheaded by Nurses on Air, was enthused by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses' (ICN) desires to improve quality of lives of citizens through special attention to Goal 3 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - “Health and Well-Being.”
He further revealed that the talent hunt audition is a tip of the ice-berg when compared with the series of innovative plans on ground to reposition and revalue nursing profession in Nigeria for unbelievable transformation, inadvertently ensuring that despite the intimidating challenges of the Nigerian health service delivery system, Nigerians get the highly improved and more qualitative nursing services they truly deserve irrespective of their location and economic background.
Mr. Okesola, excitedly concluded with the words: “We are assuring everyone that the emerging talents recently discovered at the auditions, are not only in for an unbelievable journey of self-discovery, dream actualization and life changing experience themselves, but are set to become a sort of divine blessings for the Nigeria nursing profession and its citizens at large.”
The finalists of the Generation Next Talent Hunt will be officially unveiled on Sunday October 1st 2017, at the official launch of the Nurses on Air TV, Official Website and first anniversary celebration of the Nurses on Air Radio Show.
Below is a glimpse of photo shots and audio-visuals from the finals of the Generation Next Talent Audition.
On Saturday September 2nd 2017, all roads led to the School of Nursing, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, for the Final Auditions of the Nurses on Air Generation Next Talent Hunt Contest, a sort of preparatory phase of the ongoing professional rebranding and nurses-media partnership project being championed by Nigerian nurses.
The event, the first of its kind ever organized by nurses in Africa, expectedly generated a lot of excitement among African nurses on the social media platforms since it details were made public over 6 weeks ago. The epoch-making event was put together by Nurses on Air, Africa’s foremost nurses’ media broadcasting powerhouse. The occassion is part of an ongoing rebranding project currently executed by nurses, from Nurses and for nurses with a view to changing public perception of the profession, making the voice of nurses heard, transforming health behaviours through public and media engagement and contributing to a reduction in the country's national burden of disease.
According to Mr. Josiah Jackson-Okesola, a mental health nurse clinician, health advocate, media broadcaster and Founder of Nurses on Air, “It has been observed that over the years, public relations packaging as well as media reportage and representation have not been favorable to Nigerian nurses. The Nigerian public currently holds various misconceptions about the works of nurses and who they really are.” He added: “Nursing image in Nigeria suffers chronic bastardization, professional misidentification, undeserved public condemnation and damaging media misrepresentation. The deafening silence of nurses themselves in the last three decades has not helped matters. Until we stand up, speak out and take drastic actions to put things in the right perspective as nurses, nothing much will change”.
He reasoned that the media sometimes lament on nurse’s inaction about educating the media and the public on the details of their works. The Nurses on Air platform, rather than castigate the media for its role in the misrepresentation of the nursing profession, has decided to take up the huge responsibility of teaming up with local and international media, relevant partners, nursing bodies, representatives and notable leaders, NGOs, corporate bodies and all reputable stakeholders to change the status quo.
The “Generation Next” Talent Hunt Audition Contest is part of the revolutionary move to correct the heartbreaking impressions and empower nurses to better serve Nigerians in their most resourceful states.
Speaking prior to the event about the relevance of the event, he revealed that “the contest is part of the organization’s calculated efforts at discovering, nurturing and inspiring a generation of highly gifted, extraordinarily talented, scientifically intelligent but art-oriented nurses who can execute the Nurses on Air media advocacy and public enlightenment projects, among which is a strictly “nurses cast” massive TV project geared toward unprecedented public enlightenment, health education and professional rebranding.”
He disclosed that out of 161 Nigerian nurses who registered to be part of the professional rebranding project, about 70 selected housemates, professional nurses with amazing talents in Drama and Arts, Script Writing, Poetry, Public Speaking, Story Telling, News Broadcasting and Reportage, Music, Dance, Comedy, Graphic Arts and Media Productions were picked after thorough screening. These were then subjected to further rigorous screening exercise over a 3-week period before being put up for selection at the finals of the just concluded Auditions.
Mr. Josiah Jackson-Okesola, who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Nurses on Air further stated that the ongoing nurses-media public enlightenment and professional rebranding campaign by Nigerian nurses, spearheaded by Nurses on Air, was enthused by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses' (ICN) desires to improve quality of lives of citizens through special attention to Goal 3 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - “Health and Well-Being.”
He further revealed that the talent hunt audition is a tip of the ice-berg when compared with the series of innovative plans on ground to reposition and revalue nursing profession in Nigeria for unbelievable transformation, inadvertently ensuring that despite the intimidating challenges of the Nigerian health service delivery system, Nigerians get the highly improved and more qualitative nursing services they truly deserve irrespective of their location and economic background.
Mr. Okesola, excitedly concluded with the words: “We are assuring everyone that the emerging talents recently discovered at the auditions, are not only in for an unbelievable journey of self-discovery, dream actualization and life changing experience themselves, but are set to become a sort of divine blessings for the Nigeria nursing profession and its citizens at large.”
The finalists of the Generation Next Talent Hunt will be officially unveiled on Sunday October 1st 2017, at the official launch of the Nurses on Air TV, Official Website and first anniversary celebration of the Nurses on Air Radio Show.
Below is a glimpse of photo shots and audio-visuals from the finals of the Generation Next Talent Audition.
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