School Of Nursing In Nigeria: An Ultimate Guide For Newbies

The Ultimate School of Nursing in Nigeria Guide For Newbies to apply.

Do you want to become a certified Nurse in Nigeria?

Have you got a passion for the health sector and will want to contribute your quota by helping sick patients and saving lives?

Do you want to know the step-by-step processes to start studying in the school of Nursing in Nigeria even with zero prior information?

Let me cut it here: You’ve landed in the best guide!

I’ve taken tons of effort to explain all about the school of Nursing! You’d learn all about the following:

•  Who are Nurses and what’s their role in the healthcare sector
• How to become a certified Nurse in Nigeria
• The Two pathways to become a Nurse in Nigeria and their differences
• Factors to consider before choosing a school of Nursing/university to study
• A step-by-step guide on How to apply for school of Nursing
• List of School of Nursing and their respective study requirements
• School of Nursing fees and what to expect

I’ve packaged all that so you can leave here with good knowledge before proceeding to study Nursing.

Let’s begin!

Who are Nurses?

Nurses are healthcare professionals who observe and nurse patients regularly to ensure optimal health is restored. They work in unison with medical doctors and other health experts to provide the best healthcare for sick and diseased patients.

Role of Nurses in the Healthcare sector

Nurses are an important backbone of the healthcare sector. As a nurse, you play crucial roles in healthcare promotion, research, disaster management, primary health care, immunization, reproductive health, and so on. Here are some of the jobs that nurses engage in:

In Nigeria’s healthcare system, nurses play a critical role. They play an important role in providing patients with high-quality healthcare that is also compassionate.

1. Monitoring patient’s status

One of the nurses’ jobs is to keep tabs on the patient’s condition and make sure that the medication Doctors are administering is having the desired effect. For example, if a patient is given an intravenous injection, a nurse helps to monitor him/her, confirming that the cannula is in place and there are no casualties.

2. Patient-Doctor Interrelationship

A Patient’s communication with the doctor is handled by staff nurses. In order to ensure that their immediate needs are met, they take care of everything the patient is experiencing. If there’s a condition that requires the doctor’s awareness, the Nurse plays a pivotal role in relating it to the doctor.

The role of a nurse is frequently seen as bridging the gap between patients and medical professionals. As a result of a scarcity of primary care physicians in rural areas, residents may turn to nurses for immunization administration and advice.

3. Patient-family relationship

Staff nurses may be asked to communicate with the patient’s colleagues or family members, providing them with the most up-to-date information about the patient’s condition. All in all, staff nurses should be able to care for the patient until he or she regains his or her overall health.

4. Collection of body fluids

Nurses collect blood, urine, and feces samples. They are the ones who use injection to draw blood from patients, which then heads to the medical laboratory scientist. After proper testing, the scientists hands over the result to the doctor who then makes a diagnosis and prescribes a given medication.

5. Checking vital signs

In addition, nurses assist other healthcare professionals in determining whether or not the patient is in the best possible health condition. Vital signs are a measurement of the body’s optimal functions. Nurses check the 4 primary signs; blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, and rate of respiration.  

6. Play crucial roles in Immunization

In the course of their work, nurses, particularly registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), administer vaccines to children and everyone generally.

Immunization is the process of administering vaccines to patients to prevent the development of a particular disease. It can be done against deadly diseases like chickenpox, smallpox, Covid-19, etc.

Vaccine safety, possible side effects, and the importance of immunization are all topics that Nurses can discuss with their patients, all of which are supported by scientific evidence. Nurses perform all types of vaccinations in some countries.

Convincing patients who are hesitant about vaccinations is a difficult task for nurses and others in the healthcare industry. People are less likely to be concerned about the disease if they don’t see any symptoms of it in others. Patients and their families are frequently warned by nurses that not getting vaccinated poses serious health risks.

7. Play crucial roles in child delivery  

When it comes to a baby and his or her mother’s health and safety, medical doctors aren’t the only ones involved in the delivery room. In addition to assisting the doctor during childbirth, labor and delivery nurses play an important role in the delivery and care of newborns.

Nurses, like all other medical professionals, need to be able to think critically, make sound nursing decisions, and act quickly when necessary.

Pregnancy and childbirth Prenatal and postpartum care are provided by nurses who work alongside obstetricians and other medical professionals in the birthing room.

Each mother’s unique birthing plan is developed by nurses and doctors in tandem to ensure that the mother and baby are safe during the delivery process.

Before a woman goes into labor, nurses often sit down with her to go over the process and give her advice on what to expect. Educating parents about newborns and the care they need is something that nurses often have to do after a baby is born.

As well as in hospitals and private clinics, labor and delivery nurses can also work in birthing centers and even at clients’ homes if they so choose.

Step-by-step Guide on How to Become a Nurse In Nigeria

Before we go ahead on how to apply for school of Nursing in Nigeria, let’s look at the step-by-step process on how you can become a certified Nurse.

Getting onto a new path in life sure arrives with a unique step-by-step process, and the same applies to the Nursing career in Nigeria! Here are things to put into consideration before you make any step into nursing:

1. Have The Ambition To Provide Quality Healthcare

Imagine this scenario; a family member is down with obstructive urological disease and has been feeling pains In his lower urinary tract. He’s been groaning and complaining, wishing for it to go away. Sure, there is a medical remedy, but it does require some medical procedures.

You won’t want to see your family die while you can’t do anything, will you? No. So you get the point!

Before choosing a career in the school of Nursing, evaluate your deepest desires. Of course, you want to make money, everyone does. In fact, I also love making lots of money. That’s part of the numerous reasons I’m offering quality value by providing this information you’re currently reading.

However, asides from the money aspect, you should have some inner drive to really help in the health sector. Your ambition should be to nurse patients into good health recovery as best as you can. Your enthusiasm should go towards seeing total comeback from illnesses on your patients.

So, do you really like to help out in the health care sector? Will you be genuinely concerned about caring for sick people, and ensuring their success against the battle of ailments and death? If yes, then you’re right on track to become a nurse in Nigeria!

2. Choose Which Institution To Study Nursing

When it comes to Nursing, you can bag good knowledge and a degree from more than one source compared to its counterpart medical courses like Medicine and surgery.

There are two ways to become a registered nurse in Nigeria:

1. University setting
2. School of Nursing

University setting

The university is home to numerous individuals both young and old, who seek to acquire vast knowledge in different fields. It’s also home for you to study Nursing in Nigeria.

You get trained wholly on the theoretical, practical, clinical, postings, and everything to become a sound healthcare provider in Nigeria.

However, it has its own peculiarities; It costs 5 years to study Nursing in Nigerian Universities. Furthermore, you get 4 certificates of degrees when you pass all examinations after graduation. Unlike your counterparts in the school of Nursing who only get the Registered Nurse certificate, you get:

• Registered Nurse
• Registered midwifery
• Public health nurse
• Bachelor of science in Nursing (B.sc Nursing)

Another uniqueness about this pathway is that you’d need to take the Unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME), also known as JAMB. The body is solely responsible for examining aspirants into the university and other tertiary institutions.

Asides from that, universities offering Nursing in Nigeria are fewer compared to schools of nursing. However, you’d need to know the Universities that are approved for nursing, apply, and go through all the processes if you’d want to follow this pathway to become a Nurse.

Keep reading as I would mention all the list of the approved universities offering Nursing in Nigeria.

School of Nursing Pathway

The School of Nursing is another unique pathway to becoming a Registered Nurse in Nigeria. Things may happen, and not everyone can attend the university. This serves as a good choice for such conditions.

The best part is that it costs 3 years to bag a degree as a registered nurse in Nigeria compared to university schooling. Furthermore, you need not pick up the JAMB form before getting admission into the school of Nursing. There are unique ways and requirements on how to apply for the school of Nursing which I’d explain wholly In this guide.

I’ve already explained their uniqueness above, but here’s a highlight of the peculiarities between nursing in the university and the school of nursing.

Differences between School of Nursing and In University

1. Span of study

Studying nursing in the university costs 5 years while that of schools of Nursing costs 3 years.

2. Degrees awarded

For students in the school of Nursing, they learn all about their course and after three years, earn a degree as a Registered nurse in Nigeria (RN). However, for folks in the university, it’s different.

Initially, students spend way more of their time in classes getting the basic knowledge. But when the 4^th year approaches, they begin to prepare for their professional examinations which award the certificate as an RN.

Then,  students study public health nursing, midwifery in their final year (this is optional) after which professional exams arrive. If you ace these examinations, you’d then graduate with certificates of those degrees: RN, RPH, RM, BNsc.

3. Admission requirements

Beautiful people interested in studying Nursing in the university will go through the roads of JAMB which may be competitive as there are thousands of other people who also want to study nursing.

Contrarily, in the school of nursing, aspirants simply need to pick up forms, write exams, proceed for orals, and expect admission (I’d talk about this extensively below).

Keep reading as I would also talk about the school of Nursing fees in Nigeria.

4. Research for the Best School to study Nursing in Nigeria

After you’ve made the decision on which nursing pathway to follow, next is to research the best school to study nursing! There are tons of approved federal, state, and private universities and schools of nursing where you can conveniently learn,  but which should you choose? Continue reading as I’d explain the factors to consider before choosing a school of Nursing in Nigeria.

5. Apply for school and get admission

Now you’ve made the best choice on which nursing school to attend. Make more research about the school of Nursing fees, go ahead and apply. May the force be with you. Get admission and begin studying.

6. Graduate and start practising

Finally, you’ve gone through the 3-5 years of nursing school. You can now wrap it up, and proceed into the real healthcare work.

Factors to consider before choosing a school to study Nursing

1. Admission Processes and Requirements

There are several admission requirements into Nursing in Nigerian universities and institutions. You want to get in easily, and not wait a year due to no admission, right? So here you need to be super careful.

Make a research of the unique admission requirements into the schools you intend to attend. Check out which one suits your perfectly. Do you have credit passes in O ’level in more than a sitting? You should obviously go to schools that accept that.

If you’re part of catchment areas for any university or institution, it’s safer to consider it because you can easily get admission compared to others who aren’t. Why? It’s because your cut-off mark will be lower than theirs.

Whatever university or school of Nursing you intend to attend, ensure it suits your qualifications perfectly before proceeding. Take safe decisions and choose one’s that have your state in their catchment areas.

I’d explain more about all the schools of nursing in Nigeria and their requirements. You’d also get a guide on that of universities.

2.  Quota and competition

For students going through the university pathway, it’s super important you know the admission quota of institutions you’re aspiring for.

According to JAMB statistics 2017, over 5,000 aspirants applied for nursing at the University of Nigeria, but at the end? Only very few cross the finish line (the quota is 150). And like the law of demand, the fewer the space, the more the competition.

Be wise. If you’ve written your JAMB and your score is not so high compared to the previous cut of marks for nursing in that university, then look for schools with a bigger quota for nursing students.

And not just in getting in, most students face problems with graduation. Imagine a university with 120 nursing students where the quota is just 50! Obviously, and not intentionally, not everyone would make the finish line.

So before choosing any school of nursing or university, check their quota. It’s advisable to choose ones with a larger quota if your score isn’t too high.

3. Location of school of nursing in nigeria

While this may not be super important to some folks, it’s great to consider the school of nursing in Nigeria and its location. For example, some students who live in Lagos may like a school in Sokoto and apply but get sad on finding out that it’s super distant from their place of residence.

Would you like to travel long distances for your nursing education or stay closer? It’s your choice to make! Simply, know the location of the school of nursing or university you intend to apply to, before proceeding.

Go to the link on the list of approved nursing schools above and you’d see all their location.

4. Culture

Our great country, Nigeria, is a multi-diversified cultural entity. And for some folks, adapting to another man’s language and way of life is absurd. So before choosing a nursing school, consider if you will be comfortable adapting to the culture of the place you’d be studying.

If you would like to stay near like-minds (brothers in the same culture), then search for schools around your region. If you don’t mind, this is not for you, as you can apply for varieties of institutions across the nation.

5. Age requirement

Some schools of nursing or universities set age benchmarks below which no student should be admitted into their institutions. Make proper research and do not assume. There have been cases where a 16-year-old had to wait a year because she had thought the age requirement for her school of choice was 17 years.

Full List of School of Nursing in Nigeria

There are plenty of schools of Nursing to study in Nigeria. The Association in charge of Nursing students has compiled a full list of all accredited schools to select from in Nigeria.

Download the full list of approved nursing schools in Nigeria and their quota. When you click the link, you’d see all the Nursing schools in Nigeria arranged according to their states of location.

Schools of Nursing In Nigeria and their Requirements

Before you go ahead on how to apply for the school of Nursing in Nigeria, you need to know their unique requirements.

Here are the requirements to get into the school of Nursing approved by the nursing and midwifery council of Nigeria:

1. O/level Requirement

Before deciding to apply to any school of Nursing, you must have at least five (5) credit passes in:

• English
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

The credit passes should not be in more than two exam sitting times. And the acceptable O ’level results are:

• West African Examination Council (WAEC)
• National Examination Council (NECO)
• National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB)

Whichever one you’re submitting, ensure you make research from the school of nursing you intend to apply for. For example, some schools do not use NABTEB.

What about students who didn’t school in Nigeria? Excellent question. Foreign students should obtain an equivalently graded report from the Federal Ministry of Education.

2. Age Requirement/Limit for Nursing school in nigeria

You must be at least 16 years of age to claim eligibility to apply for the school of Nursing in Nigeria. However, ensure you reach out to your school again to be certain about the age requirements because, for some schools, you’d need to be 17 years and above.

How to apply for school of Nursing Program in Nigeria

After meeting up with the school of Nursing program, the next step is to begin the application, right? Here are easy steps to apply for school of Nursing in Nigeria:

1. Go to the school and pick up form
2. Fill in your details
3. Write and pass the entrance examination
4. Check your results from your school of nursing
5. Proceed for the oral interview

1. Go to the School and Pick up form

The very first step to applying for the school of Nursing is to proceed to the institution you intend to attend and pick up their application form.

For some schools, this can be done online while for others you’d need to take it up physically. You should also note that this form comes with a fee.

What about the price? It differs! For some schools, it’s N5,000 while for others it’s higher. A typical example is the UNTH School of Nursing whose form was N8,000 while for LUTH, it was N10,000. Whatever it is, the cost of applying will be less than N15,000.

2. Fill In your details

Schools of nursing will typically have a portal through which you can apply. After making the payment, you’d fill in the form with your details like full name, state of origin, date of birth, O’ level results, etc.

You’d also be required to upload a couple of passport photographs. After all necessities, you’d print a slip which you’d bring to the examination venue.

3. Write and Pass the Entrance Examination

The third step to apply for the school of Nursing is to proceed with your screening examination and pass it.

Most schools will test your normal knowledge of your five core courses which are: English language, Mathematics, Biology, chemistry, and Physics. Some schools test students on general knowledge.

Typically, the examination will be a multiple-choice setting just like in your Secondary school certificate examination (SSCE).

However, you need to be wise here. There would be tons of other students writing the same examination, and you know what that means? High competition!

Get past questions. Most times, the school will have a compilation of previous test questions. Do get them, and practice hard in order to ace the test.

4. Check your results from school of nursing in nigeria

About a week or less, the results for the entrance examination will be out, and you’d need to check it through the portal to access your stance. There is a certain cut-off mark that they use to screen out students according to their quota. When you pass, you’d then proceed to the oral interview stage which would probably be a month after the results.

5. Proceed for the Oral Interview

The last step on how to apply for the school of Nursing is to go for your oral interview. The school of Nursing will like to access the students they’d be admitting to study Nursing. Once, you do well, you’ll be admitted! And that’s it!

Universities Offering Nursing In Nigeria and their study requirements

Candidate Requirements for the UTME Exam:

There are five subjects that must be passed at the SSCE level in order to apply for Nursing or Nursing Science as a UTME candidate which are: English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics.

Remarks on Waivers of Special Requirements

1. There is no admission process for ABU and UNIBADAN through the UTME.

• Second, UNIBADAN requires 5 or 6 “O” level credit passes at one or two sittings, including English Language (Biology/Health Science), Chemistry (Mathematics), and any other one of the following: Economics, government, English literature, history, geography, and physics (this will be an advantage).

3. UNN only accepts results from the SSCE or an equivalent exam taken in no more than two sittings.

• Five ‘O’ Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry are required at a single sitting by AAU.

• The credit passes must be completed in no more than two sittings by NDU.

Candidate Requirements for Direct Entry

As a Direct Entry candidate, you must have the following qualifications: (1) Two ‘A’ level passes in Biology/Zoology, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as three other ‘O’ level credit passes in Mathematics, Physics, and English.

Non-NRN or approved equivalent plus five ‘O’ level credit passes in English Language and one science subject from the following: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology; Human Anatomy and Physiology and Hygiene; Health Science; Further Mathematics; and General Science.

Remarks on Waivers of Special Requirements

1. UNN accepts the following:

• NandMCN-registered nurses who have also passed the UTME are eligible to apply.

b) Math, Biology, and Chemistry at GCE “A” level with no more than two sittings and the UTME requirement.

c) Graduates of related fields with a bachelor’s degree.

• If you’re interested in studying at the University of Jos, you’ll need to score at least three ‘A’ grades in each of the following subjects: chemistry, physics, biology, and English language.

• NRN or its approved equivalent, five ‘O’ level credit passes in English Language and one Science subject from the subjects listed under the “Direct Entry Requirement” column, and two years of registered nursing experience are required by BIU or UNICAL for admission. IBADAN accepts the following professional certifications as proof of education and experience:

a) Nursing; b)

Psychosomatic Care;

In this case, we’re talking about midwifery.

More requirements

• UniBad accepts:

1. Midwifery; b) Nursing and c) Nursing Administration (d) A’level passes

• Candidates with more than five years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field will be given preference at UNIBADAN, which only requires two years of post-registration experience.

7. The ABU accepts:

The IJMB/’A’ Level Physics, Chemistry, and Biology or Zoology are all passed.

At least 5 credits in English Language, Maths, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry are required for the position of a registered nurse (RN).

8. The RN or its equivalent (approved by the Senate) and ‘O’ level credit pass in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry are accepted by LAUTECH and OAU. ‘

9. There is no direct entry at the UNIPORT (viii).

UniBadan requires two A’s in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics as well as UTME requirements for admissions. (ix)

10. Physics, Chemistry, and Biology all require at least an “A” or better in at least two of the three subjects. ND/HND (Upper Credit) in Health-Related Disciplines is also acceptable.

Admissions to the program.

Biology/Zoology, Chemistry, and Physics are the three GCE (A/L) subjects required by the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in addition to the O’ Level credits in five other subjects.

At least two A-level or equivalents in Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, and Physics/Mathematics are required for admission to UNILORIN.

NDU accepts the following:

Candidates who are registered nurses (NRN), registered midwives (RM), or registered psychiatric nurses must have five (5) “O” level (GCE, NECO or SSCE) at credit passes in English Language, Physics, Mathematica, Chemistry and Biology at not more than two sittings in order to be eligible for admission to the nursing program.

No less than a Second Class Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, such as biochemistry, medical microbiology, human nutrition, or a related field of medical laboratory science, is required for non-nurses.

For HND, NCE and ND, EBSU accepts Merit and Upper credit in the relevant fields, respectively.

In order to comply with UNILAG,

a) The O/Level requirement is met by all direct entry applicants.

requirements.

In order to apply, candidates must be registered with the Nigerian Nursing and Midwifery Council as either a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Nurse/Midwife (RN/RM).

3. JUPEB subjects: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: All applicants must have attained high marks in each of these subjects.

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Zoology are among the GCE A/Level subjects that candidates must have at least two of.

It is possible to consider applicants who have a bachelor’s degree in a health-related subject from an accredited university and who meet the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Medicine degree program.

However, the Department may conduct an interview for prospective candidates in addition to the above requirements.

How to apply for school of Nursing In Nigeria Universities

The method to apply for Nursing in Nigerian universities is just the same as applying for any other course. The steps are summarized as;

•  Buy JAMB form and fill in Nursing as course of study in your desired institution
• Write and score high in JAMB
• Apply for the university’s post-UTME screening
• Write and ace post-UTME
• Wait for admission list!

School of Nursing Fees in Nigeria

Each school of Nursing have their peculiar tuition fee to pay before one can study. As expected, it varies from school to school. Here is an estimate of some school of nursing fees in Nigeria:

School	School of Nursing fees in Nigeria
UBTH	N85,000
ABU	N120,000-N200,000
LUTH	N200,000-250,000
OAUTH	N220,000-N250,000
UCH	N200,000-N250,000
Sokoto state	N180,000
ECWA	N250,000
Mater	N250,000
FCT	N200,000
UNTH	N150,000-200,000

However, here are a few things to note about the school of nursing fees in Nigeria:

• The above nursing school fees in Nigeria is an estimate. The school fees for Nursing varies. You’d need to go to them and inquire to be certain.
• To study in school of Nursing, you should budget between N100,000-N250,000 per session.
• Most times, the schools have hostel accommodation which you’d pay for separately.

Q & A on School of Nursing in Nigeria

Q. How much does it cost to study Nursing in Nigeria?

It will cost you an average of N100,000-N250,000 per session to study Nursing in Nigeria.

Q. Do schools of Nursing require JAMB?

No. Schools of nursing in Nigeria do not require you to write JAMB. Writing JAMB is only for aspirants wishing to study Nursing at the University.

Q. How many years does it take to become a Nurse in Nigeria?

It will take you an average of 3-5 years to become a registered nurse in Nigeria depending on which pathway you follow. For students in the school of nursing, it is 3 years while those in University spend 5 years averagely.

Q. Do nurses go for NYSC?

The National Youth Service Corps does not exempt any graduates in Nigeria except students who are older than 30 years. So yes, Nurses do NYSC, which is a one-year compulsory program serving the Nation.

Q. How many years is Bsc. Nursing in Nigeria?

Like I said earlier, it is 5 years on average.

Final words on the school of nursing in Nigeria Guide

Nursing is a very satisfying course to study when you go for it with the right mindset. The opportunities it arrives with, are tremendous. In this article, you have come to know all about how to apply for the school of Nursing in Nigeria, their fees, how to choose good schools, and everything you need to get started!

Do you have any questions? Let’s interact using the comment section!

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Hope you’ve learned all about the school of Nursing in Nigeria and their fees? You can now proceed to apply for your institution of choice!