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This blog post captures a brief report of our special nurses’ week webchat.
The theme followed the International Nurses’ Day theme, Caring For Nurses Strengthens Economies while our discussions centered around Care, Lead, Innovate (the importance of leadership and innovation in nursing and why nurses need to take care of their wellbeing while carrying out their professional duties and leading and innovating).
Date: 14th May, 2025.
Time: 7:02 PM – 8:26 PM.
Host: Olateju Sharon (social media manager, Carecode Digital Health Hub)
Speakers:
Alowooja Babatunde, RN (Evercare Hospital Lekki, Nigeria).
Tijani Mojisola, RN (Carecode Digital Health Hub).
Tobi Adewumi, RN (Innovate Health Africa).
Carecode Digital Health Hub’s WebChat, hosted by Olateju Sharon (social media manager, Carecode Digital Health Hub), brought together forward-thinking voices in nursing and innovation to discuss how nurses can lead and be innovative in a healthy environment.
Tijani Mojisola opened the conversation by challenging the status quo of leadership in nursing.
She emphasised that leadership is “the ability for an individual to influence change in their environment, no matter how little.”
However, she lamented the deep-seated apathy among student nurses toward leadership roles, an issue that often persists into their professional lives.
According to her, this disinterest is one reason medical doctors dominate high-level administrative positions like MD and CMD, while nurses often remain sidelined.
She also highlighted the systemic constraints in nursing schools, where student unions are downplayed and stripped of authority due to outdated structures.
“It’s not just about elevating nurses into leadership positions, but ensuring it’s people who are qualified and ready to lead transformationally.” She emphasised.
Building on the future of nursing, Alowooja, a perioperative nurse with extensive experience in Minimally Invasive Surgery, shared insights on how nurses must adapt to global shifts and economic realities.
He urged nurses to remain open to change and technological advancement.
“As nurses, we must understand the times and be prepared to change,” he noted, advocating for deeper specialisation through niche fields.
He cited the example of Emergency Nursing in the U.S., which has evolved into a subspecialty.
When the conversation shifted to innovation, Tobi Adewumi, executive director of Innovate Health Africa (and one of the co-founders of Carecode Digital Health Hub), passionately emphasised that nurses are natural problem solvers.
Citing Florence Nightingale’s revolutionary approach during the Crimean War as a timeless example.
He reminded the audience that innovation is essentially problem-solving in motion. He said, “Our environment as Nigerians already trains us to be innovators, citing a popular phrase, ‘problem no dey finish.”
He further described how innovation often stems from direct patient care.
For instance, the invention of seizure pads came from recognising the harm seizure patients experienced from falls.
That solution didn’t require a lab, just attentiveness, compassion, and creativity. He also referenced the Red Card Theory, which promotes proactive intervention over-reactive care.
Tijani later revisited the conversation on leadership, shedding light on the barriers nurses face when stepping into leadership.
She mentioned entrenched hierarchies and power struggles, emphasising that nursing leadership must shift from positional authority to transformational leadership.
When asked about nurse wellbeing, Alowooja stressed the importance of intentional job selection, recommending that nurses scrutinise role descriptions before accepting offers.
He also highlighted the irony that “healthcare workers are often the least users of healthcare,” urging his colleagues to prioritise their physical and mental health.
In the final segment, Tobi addressed how technology can revolutionise nursing practice, but only when nurses are actively involved in co-creating those solutions.
He illustrated this with a cautionary tale where an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system designed to save time ended up increasing workload and frustrating nurses because it was built for nurses, not with them.
Tobi strongly advocated for digital literacy in the profession, aligning with the vision of Carecode Digital Health to make healthcare professionals digitally literate, empowering them with the required skills (both technical and leadership) needed to push transformations in healthcare with the power of digital technologies.
An audience member asked why a disconnect exists between nurses and tech experts, given that many nurses have innovative ideas but lack the core technical know-how to bring those ideas to life.
Mr Tobi acknowledged the gap and recommended joining collaborative communities like Innovate Health Africa, among others, where nurses can gain exposure, mentorship, and tech partnerships.
The session ended at 8:26 PM, leaving attendees inspired to lead, innovate, and take care of their wellbeing.
As Carecode Digital Health Hub continues to lead in digital transformation in healthcare, this special WebChat served as a potent reminder that the world is changing quickly. Professionals in every industry or ecosystem need to follow the change, grow, evolve, and adapt.
Find us on social media, stay connected, and gain access to the recording of the WebChat when it’s made available.
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