BRIEF HISTORY
T h e N e u r o p s y c h i a t r i c Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta is a specialist hospital established for holistic health care and Nursing Department is a pivot in the health care. As part of a t e a m, t h e d e p a r t m e n t collaborates with other team members not leaving our ethics which is fundamental to achieving the mission and vision of this great institution.
Nursing Department is as old as the hospital herself and has the largest workforce of the hospital. The department is an integral part of the clinical services and encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, group and communities, ill or well in all setting. The first head of department was Mr Oliver Oni, a Colonial Master who served between 1944 and1960.
From inception, the department has produced seventeen (17) seasoned Heads of Department. The incumbent Head of Department, Mrs Majolagbe K. T. Deputy Director, (MPA, FIPMA, BNSc, RPN, RM, RN,) took over the leadership with great zeal to take nursing profession and department to enviable heights.
B. PHILOSOPHYAND OBJECTIVE
Philosophy
The philosophy of the department is to apply the basic principles and concepts of General Nursing and Mental Health Nursing specifically in area of health promotion, prevention of mental illness, therapeutic and crisis interventions. Here, in Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, nurses treat clients and significant others as kings and queens.
Objective
The primary objective of Nursing Department is to provide holistic mental health care that meet the health needs of individual patients, their families through inpatient service, and the community through partnership primary health care service, in accordance with local and international best practices.
SCOPE OF OPERATIONS
The scope of operation of Nursing Department includes the following:
Four Acute Wards (Male and Female) at Aro and Seven Acute Wards (Male and Female) at Lantoro Annex.
Drug Addiction Treatment Education Research Unit (Phase I & II)
Outpatient Clinic
Child and Adolescent Clinic
Psychogeriatic Unit
Community Psychiatric
Forensic/Correctional Centre
Rehabilitation Ward at Lantoro Annex
Assessment and Emergency Unit
Private Ward/Private Clinic
General Medical Practice Clinic (GMPC)
Creche
SERVICES RENDERED BY NURSING DEPARTMENT
Assessment of patient's mental state
Nursing Care of mentally ill
Establishment of good communication with patient and families
Building therapeutic relationship with patient and families
Psychosocial care
Supportive care
Promoting health and prevention of illness
Provide health promotion, counseling and education
Perioperative care
Wound care/dressing
Accident and emergency care
Maternity care
Drug abuse care
Rehabilitative care
Child and adolescent care
The care of the aged
Community service
Care of inmates at Forensic/Correctional Centre
Physical and Physiological care.
FUNCTIONS
Nursing Service Department performs the following functions:
Assessment and general observation of patients in order to collect relevant data.
Assessment and processing of emotional, sociological, psychological, cultural and spiritual needs to formulate a care plan.
Identifying potential and actual health problems from the data collected.
Documentation of changes in health status of clients.
Use of scientific approach (Nursing process) to plan and manage the identified health problems.
Facilitates rehabilitation of patients through collaboration with other health team Members and significant others.
Providing mental health advocacy for improved health services.
Liaison with the School of Psychiatric Nursing in trainning and supervision of different categories of Nursing Students (ND, BNSc, MSc, PhD) on Clinical Placement (Posting) within and outside Nigeria.
Evaluation of effectiveness of nursing intervention through nursing audit.
Promotion of effective communication.
Other functions include: promotion of health, prevention of illness, restoration of health physically and psychologically, alleviation of suffering, rehabilitation of clients into the community, and promotion of safe environment
CRECHE SERVICES
The Creche service of Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta began in November 1998 during the tenure of Dr (Mrs) T. A. Adamson. The need to improve staff welfare and promote exclusive breastfeeding among female staffs was at the topmost agenda of the Hospital Management. To this end therefore, the Unit was kick started with registration of five babies. The following Heads Health Attendants from the Nursing Department were drafted into the unit as pioneer staff.
Mrs Sanya (Head of Unit)
Mrs Matthew P.K.
Mrs Folarin M.O.
Mrs Nnaji B.Y.
MrsToriola R.
Mrs Gbogboade
The activities of this newly created Unit were supervised directly by Office of the Head of Nursing Department.
THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CRECHE UNIT INCLUDE:
Admittance of new registrations from birth to two and half years old.
Total care of the children (Feeding, bathing, changing of clothing and tending to sleep etc).
Encouragement of exclusive breast feeding
Maintenance and follow-up of immunisation schedule, and
Prevention of infections among babies through compliance with the hospital protocol on hand washing.
Within the first six months of it operation, the number of babies grew from five to twenty. Due to this development, the Management employed Mrs Amusan, a retired Matron to head the Unit.
Mrs Amusan handed over to my Mrs C. P. Egundeyi, after the expiration of her contract terms. Thereafter, Mrs Egundeyi handed over to Mrs Folarin M. O. Head Health Attendants following her retirement from active service. Presently, the Unit is headed by Mrs M.I. Famade who took over from Mrs Folarin in November 2020 and the population has grown to 45 babies.