We started this new series of interviews to tell younger nurses the story of the founders of FYNI. The first part was published a couple of days ago, this is the second part.

In the previous part, Prof Prisca Adejumo narrated the story of how she found herself in Nursing Academia & she also talked a bit about the importance of Nursing Academia.

In this second part, you will be presented with more personal details about the academic life of Professor Prisca Adejumo.

DID MY PROFESSORSHIP FEAT COME EARLY IN LIFE?

I would not say it came early, but early is relative. A friend became a professor around his 40th birthday.

I became a professor at 47 years of age. 

Compared to other disciplines, it is not young or early.

Then, the journey to the Professorial level in Nursing was quite tortuous and assailable to many. 

It was a usually long road to travel because many nurses that crossed from the bedside would have spent the most productive part of their lives in the clinical area to begin a fresh journey into academia was often very long and challenging.

From general nursing to midwifery, then Public Health and any other — soo many years go by through this manner compared to our contemporaries who went straight to universities from secondary schools and studied in other disciplines.

So, I would say compared to some others, mine may be considered relatively early and short as of that time. But God has helped us to encourage others to attain the heights faster with less stress.

My success can also be attributed to the fact that my friends and I picked ages at which we thought we could attain the professorship feat. 

We attended an inaugural lecture and they displayed the ages at which people became professors. We decided we would attain ours before the ages displayed.

I picked the age of 50. By the Grace of God, I achieved it at 47.

THE RELEVANCE OF SETTING TIMELY GOALS IN THE NURSING PROFESSION

Deadlines are deadlines.

You want to make sure your deadline is achievable and realistic.

Write your goals down as spoken in Habakkuk 2 vs 2, do not leave it in your brain, or else it will fly off.

The essence of setting goals is to fix your aspirations and desires, and writing them down brings a sense of commitment and belief.

If I did not set my goal using the SMART principles, perhaps:

· It may not have come at the time it did

· I would not have been as excited as I was about it

· Attention will not have been drawn to it

· I wouldn’t have planned for and set myself up for the opportunities to achieve the goal

After all, failing to plan is planning to fail.

So, write your goals down.

Apply smart principles.

And if it doesn’t work out, don’t quit. Rather amend it and keep running with it.

WERE THERE ANY OBSTACLES OR CHALLENGES THAT MADE ME WANT TO QUIT?

Quitting is not in my dictionary. I don’t quit. And winners do not quit. 

I love nursing and I struggled to become a nurse. I originally got admission to study engineering as my father wanted, but I went ahead to apply for nursing.

However, I had an unpleasant situation once.

While I was still at the School of Nursing at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, I met a secondary schoolmate and told her I was in the ward. She came to see me and started asking unpleasant questions: what happened to you? why are you wearing a Student nurse’s uniform? A senior colleague saw what was happening and intervened. 

I didn’t like what I had felt, so I asked around, dug, and got some unpleasant information about nursing.

That was when I made up my mind to reach the zenith of nursing, God willing.

That situation started an unquenchable fire in me.

I completed my Master’s degree, and during my defense, a lecturer told me to either go abroad or do something else because they could not give me what I needed.

I told my husband who is very supportive, and we checked through other departments. 

I wanted something in health and settled for medical sociology. I did my master’s in medical sociology and also went ahead to obtain a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology.

Still, my desire for nursing continued to burn. So, I applied for a Ph.D. in Nursing, and I completed it in 2016.

At the end of it all, know what you want, set SMART goals, and have God.

MY ADVICE TO YOUNG NURSES: Everything is not about money. Get as many mentors as you would like to support you. Know where you are at, where you are not doing well, and work on it.

Nursing is a rewarding career and journey.

“Meet The Profs” is a new series on FYNI that is telling the stories of the founders of FYNI. 

We want their unique stories to inspire and motivate young nurses in Nigeria and all over the world.  

You will get the opportunity to hear, first-hand what motivates them, how they found themselves where they are, the challenges they have encountered and so much more. 

And this is what even makes it captivating — you get the opportunity to ask them any question. 

If you have not subscribed to our mailing list, kindly do so, so that you get notified whenever we publish something new. 

“Meet The Profs” is produced by FYNI Media And Editorial Team.