What is the Salary of a Registered Nurse in Nigeria

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Are you planning on studying Nursing as a course in the university and you are wondering what the average salary of a registered nurse in Nigeria is. A lot of people ask me via mail “how much registered nurses make in Nigeria?”

It is appropriate for you to know Nigerian nurses salary before deciding to study Nursing in Nigerian university. In this article you will find out the amount of money a Registered Nurse in Nigeria makes in a month.

Nursing is known to be one of the best professions in Nigeria where you can make money and it is known to be one of the most sought-after profession in Nigeria. So if you are planning on choosing Nursing as your desired profession then do not hesitate.

Table of Contents

Who is a Nurse?
What are the Functions of a Nurse?
How to become a Registered Nurse in Nigeria?
Is Bachelor of Nursing hard in Nigeria?
Differences between the school of Nursing and Nursing in the University?
Places where Registered Nurses (RNs) can work?
What is the Salary of a Registered Nurse in Nigeria?
What is NYSC salary for Nurses?

Who is a Nurse?

According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), a Nurse is a person who has completed a program of basic, generalized, nursing education. It is also authorized by the appropriate regulator by the appropriate regulatory authority to practise nursing within their country. ICN further explained that, this individual must be prepared and licensed; to practice the general scope of nursing which includes promotion of health, prevention of illness, and care of physically ill, mentally ill and disabled of all ages in all settings; to carry out health care teaching; to actively participate in the health care team, and to be involved in research

What are the Functions of a Nurse?

The most important job of nurses is to advocate for and provide take care of individuals and help their health and well-being. However, there are various other responsibilities of a nurse that form a part of the role of a nurse which includes to:

Record medical and family histories of the patient
Note down the symptoms of the patient
Collaborate with teams to plan for patient care
Advocate for the health and well-being of patients
Monitor patient health and record vital signs
Administer medications and treatments
Operate medical equipment
Perform diagnostic tests
Educate patients about the management of illnesses
Provide support and advice to patients

How to become a Registered Nurse in Nigeria?

It is not easy to become a registered nurse in Nigeria. First, you need to write SSCE and have a minimum of credit in the major science subjects which include; Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Secondly, choose a university of your choice and apply for JAMB.

You can become a registered nurse in Nigeria by either applying to the School of Nursing, School of Basic midwifery or a University approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) as well as the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The school of Nursing is a 3-year program and that of the university is a 5-year program. Once you have passed all the requirements needed to become a registered nurse you will be awarded a Registered Nurse (RN) certificate or license in the school of nursing as well as in the university. The school of basic midwifery offers a training package that trains midwives for a period of three years.

The training in the School of nursing is a hospital-based one and it leads to the award of a Certificate in General Nursing.

The program is designed to allow the nursing student to learn in the classroom for half of the period of the training, and the other half of the students are on clinical postings.

Nurses who trained in Nigerian universities are awarded both professional certifications and a bachelor’s degree. This pathway allocates more time to the learning classroom for student nurses, and less for clinical postings, as compared to the earlier mentioned training pathways.

In the fourth year of their study, student nurses attempt the professional examination for the award of a Certificate in General Nursing (RN) and, in the fifth year, they study Midwifery, and Public Health Nursing, which is optional.

When they reach the end of their fifth year, they’ll be able to take professional examinations which will allow them to become Midwives (RM) as well as Public Health Nurses (RPH).

Alongside these professional certificates, in addition, they are also given a bachelor’s degree.

Thus, an overall qualification is “RN, RM, RPH, BNsc”.

Internship: Upon graduation, they are expected to undergo a compulsory one-year internship program, which is designed to ground them in clinical experience, improve their clinical skills and give them the opportunity to relate with other professional nurses, after which they would then receive their license to practice as a nurse.

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC): NYSC is a one-year service year where you are expected to serve your motherland. The ideal situation is to be assigned to a hospital within the region you are assigned to. Whether you went to the school of Nursing or the University, you can enroll yourself into the NYSC program unlike that Internship which is meant for those who attended Nursing through the University program

Also check out: The career opportunities in Nursing profession

Is Bachelor of Nursing hard in Nigeria?

It’s a challenging course; there’s no doubt about that. I did not see myself as a student who was naturally smart – it was diligence, dedication and passion that got me through. Nursing is not a job you do for money. It’s not for everyone.

Differences between the school of Nursing and Nursing in the University?

Nursing is a 3-year program in the school of Nursing while it is a 5-year program in the university
Only RN certificates and licenses are issued in the school of nursing while in the university, you will be given an RN certificate, license and a Bachelor’s degree of the Nursing certificate (BNSc. or BSc.).

However, someone who attends a school of nursing can also be awarded a Bachelor’s degree in the Nursing certificate, all the person needs to do is to apply for Direct Entry (DE) in Nursing to a University of his or her choice. If you apply through DE, you will only do Nursing at that University for 4years instead of 5years

Places where Registered Nurses (RNs) can work?

The majority of the time, Registered nurses (RN) are employed by medical or hospital clinics. They may also work for other organizations, such as outpatient facilities, rehabilitation centres, or senior centres. Their main job is to promote wellness and health.

Now that you have known how to become a registered nurse and places you work as a nurse in Nigeria, let us find out what the salary of a registered nurse in Nigeria is.

What is the Salary of a Registered Nurse in Nigeria?

The salary of a registered nurse in Nigeria is N97,000 per month for those with just RN license while the salary of BNSc or BSc nurses is N120,000 per month. The salary of Nigerian nurses increases as their years of experience also increases. Nigerian nurses working in hospitals or clinics are paid using CONHESS (Consolidated Health Salary Structure). The salary of Nurses in Nigeria is affect by:

Years of experience
Institution where you are working (either at Federal government hospitals, State hospitals or Private hospitals or organisations)

We are going to be looking at the salary of a Nurse in 2 different dimensions

Salary of a Nurse in Federal or Government hospital and
Salary of a Nurse in a Private hospital

Salary of a Nurse in Federal or Government hospital

0 to 2 years of experience: N75,000 to 90,000
2 to 5 years of experience: N90,000 to 150,000
5 years and above: Minimum of N150,000

Salary of a Nurse in a Private hospital

0 to 2 years of experience: N50,000 to 80,000
2 to 5 years of experience: N80,000 to 130,000
5 years and above: Minimum of N130,000

Now let me quickly tell you the salary of a nurse intern

Salary of an Intern Nurse

The salary of an intern nurse is N105,000. However, if you are doing your internship at any of the state HMBs (Hospital Management Boards), expect your salary to be at N80,000 to N90,000. You read more about internships for Nursing students here.

Note: The above salaries of Nurses in the federal and private hospitals are tentative, but these are what the majority of the hospitals in Nigeria pay their Nurses. Each management decides on what it will pay its employees.

The structure of nurses’ salaries in Nigeria is constructed around two fundamental norms:

Structure (CONHESS) that is designed specifically designed for hospitals as well as Consolidated.
University Academic structure (CONAUSS) for nurses in the academic.

But for nurses employed by the public health sector in Nigeria, their income is pretty steady in the event that they are paid using an average salary scale, known as CONHESS (Consolidated Health Salary Structure).

The salary range for nurses in Nigeria as per National salary income and wage commission (2009) is summarized in the table below

Structure	Monthly Pay
CONHESS 7	N80,000
CONHESS 8	N90,000
CONHESS 9	N100,000
CONHESS 10	N120,000
CONHESS 11	N150,000
CONHESS 12	N180,000
CONHESS 13	N230,000
CONHESS 14	N280,000
CONHESS 15	N350,000

What is NYSC salary for Nurses?

The average salary for NYSC nurses is N35,000 per month. NYSC salary for nurses differ in each state. Some states in Nigeria pay NYSC nurses more than N35,000 per month while some states pay the stated amount. However, NYSC nurses should be expecting a salary between N30,000 to N45,000 per month.

Many individuals rush into the Nursing profession due to the alleged lavish salary due to the alleged high salary nurses are thought to earn. Nigeria is one of the countries that doesn’t value their Nurses and the salary of Nigerian nurses isn’t encouraging.

Having looked at the different factors that determine the amount of salary earned by Nurses, these criteria do not guarantee a stipulated salary as the amount earned differs for individuals.

Meanwhile, it is important to note that nurses’ salary in Nigeria varies across states and hospitals, leaving Nurses who work in Government institutions earning more than those who work in most private health institutions.

Now that you have known the salary of a registered nurse in Nigeria and how to become a registered nurse in the country, if you have any questions, please feel free to make use of the comment box below.