On Sunday, January 11, 2026, nurses working in one of OOUTH’s units were instructed to take over sanitation duties normally performed by hospital cleaners who have been absent due to an ongoing strike. According to an account from one of the affected nurses, the hospital management, through an acting unit supervisor, ordered nursing staff to mop floors and empty rubbish bins, tasks the nurses argue fall outside their professional scope of practice.
“This is why nursing will never earn respect in the hospital setting in Nigeria,” the nurse lamented, describing the directive as both demoralising and inappropriate.
The nurse explained that the hospital’s substantive unit head, who typically oversees operations, has been on leave since late November and is expected to return soon. Prior to her departure, she had warned staff not to engage in duties beyond their nursing responsibilities. However, during her absence, the acting supervisor reportedly insisted that nurses perform the cleaning tasks, increasing workplace tension.
Several nurses refused to comply with the directive. One nurse told colleagues and patients that she “would no longer carry out duties unrelated to nursing care.” When the acting supervisor continued to push the order, she, along with others who resisted, stood firm, leaving the acting supervisor to mop floors and empty bins alone.
The nurse also said that there were no disciplinary actions taken against her for standing her ground, and she indicated that the matter might be escalated should similar pressure be exerted once the unit head returns.
The nurses’ resistance has roots in broader discontent among nursing professionals in Nigeria over non-nursing duties being thrust upon them. Earlier this month, the Elegant Nurses Forum issued a nationwide condemnation of hospital managements, including that at OOUTH, accusing some Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of exploiting the ongoing cleaners’ strike, led by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), to compel nurses to perform sanitation and other menial tasks.
In a formal statement signed by Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the forum said such practices “violate professional ethics, international best practices, and the legal framework guiding nursing practice in Nigeria,” and “pose serious risks to patient safety and the quality of healthcare delivery.”
The forum’s statement warned that some CMDs had resorted to coercion and threats of job loss to enforce these measures, alleging that “political interference, rather than merit, had influenced some CMD appointments,” turning healthcare institutions into “tools of oppression” rather than centres of care.
The Elegant Nurses Forum reiterated that compelling nurses to abandon professional duties for cleaning undermines the nursing profession and jeopardises patient care.
The forum has demanded: Immediate cessation of intimidation and coercion of nurses into non-nursing roles; Clear directives from Federal and State Ministries of Health prohibiting the assignment of non-professional duties to nurses; Investigation and disciplinary action against hospital administrators found culpable; and Merit-based leadership appointments free from political interference.
The nurses directly affected at OOUTH called on their colleagues nationwide to unite in protecting professional boundaries and to restore dignity and respect to the nursing profession.
The incident has reignited ongoing debates about staffing, work conditions, and appropriate roles for healthcare professionals in Nigerian public hospitals, especially during periods of industrial action.
