25/01/2026
This story about the Nigerian nurse in Australia who lost her licence for sleeping on duty has been heavy on my heart.
And before anyone rushes to conclusions, let me say this clearly, patient safety and accountability matters.
Before I left Nigeria, nurse patient ratio abroad was sold to us like paradise.
We heard things like “1 nurse to 3 patient”😂😂
“Once you japa, workload reduces” 😂😂
“You’ll finally rest”😂😂
You see as I laf?
The truth?
Poorly managed ratios exist in the diaspora too.
We are always short staff and anytime this happens, those on ground carry the shift and if you make one mistake? You go down for it.
The beautiful thing is that you have all equipment to work with.
You’re not improvising cannulas or begging for basic supplies.
But the workload is still crushing, and often, more hands are needed than are provided.
When I newly arrived in the UK, I took bank shifts like my life depended on it.
Kai!
Extra pay felt like survival.
Until I borrowed sense.
Because every extra shift I worked while already stressed left me clumsy, foggy, unsafe.
Ask me where all the money went?
I am glad I borrowed sense early in my career here.
The chase for money here has landed people in trouble.
I remember documenting on a keyboard once and not even realising when I dozed off.
No one said, “Take a walk.”
No one said, “You’re too tired.”
Na me talk to myself.
The system just keeps moving until something breaks.
And when it breaks, the individual nurse carries the cross, not the structure that pushed them there.
We need to talk about controlled working hours like it’s done in some parts of this country
Mandatory rest and fatigue management, not silent expectations
Empowering nurses to decline or ration shifts when staffing is unsafe or datix a short staffed shift ASAP.
Normalising saying NO when patient-to-staff ratios are dangerous
Professionalism is recognising when continuing is unsafe for you and for patients.
One nurse to 100 resident and multiple night duty?
Girl..your body will give way and the reason or people you work so hard for will do nothing to save you.
Na why every pound I convert to naira send back home must be earned.
I WORK F^^KING 12 HOURS SHIFT a day and nobody will cajole me with any financial bu****it.
You see the currency?
Nurses abroad work way hard for it.
I wish you well Chimzuruoke and I pray you come out of this.
