An exclusive interview

Pressing for accessible maternal care in Nigeria

“As a child, anytime my dad was around, I always told him I wanted to become a nurse. It all started like a dream of passion. It started with the uniform. Yes, I loved seeing nurses in the white uniform. It was just something that was originally in my heart as a child. My dad also got a first aid box in our room and I started cleaning wounds. I started taking care of people. Things that should scare children, like blood or things like that, I saw myself going for those things. At that point, I knew I was called to do something like this.”

Deborah Onumajuru, RN, RM, BNSC, is a registered nurse and midwife from Ekiti, Nigeria. She currently works as a midwife for the Federal Civil Service of Nigeria, the academic director for Stepped Up Nurses Academy, and an online instructor for the Pregnancy Support Foundation. She is the founder of The Budding Nurse, a social group nurturing student nurses, and EMMJAY FOODS, a company making food for new mothers that she hopes to take national in the years to come. She also volunteers for Pregnancy Support Partners International as a partner and social media coordinator.

Plus: The need to train nurses in entrepreneurship

“Nurses are changing. We need to. There are so many things that are going to happen in the next few years, and we as nurses have an obligation to stay ahead of the trends.”

Pamela Jane Nye, MS, RN, CNS-BC, CNRN, SCRN, ENLS, is a nurse entrepreneur and educator. She is an Associate Professor to the UCLA School of Nursing Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist Dual Role Program and owns two businesses, Neuroscience Nursing and Operation Scrubs. Her mission is to educate the public on the value and role of nurses. She is a scientist at heart with a rich background in nursing research. She is a mentor and donor to the American Heart / American Stroke Association STEM for Girls program, and the creator and leader of the Los Angeles Nurse Network (LANN).

NurseDeck’s Insider’s Perspective magazine is a 100% free publication established to spread awareness and build valuable connections with the nursing community. We do not work with advertisers.