Interview with the First Best Graduating Student From the Department of Nursing Science

Meet Olabisi Onabanjo University 1st “Best Graduating Student” from the Department of
Nursing Science with an astounding CPGA of 4.61.

Can you introduce yourself to us?
I’m Durojaiye Samuel Damola, a graduate of the Department of Nursing science, Olabisi Onabanjo university. My vices are quite basic, I love a good meal, enjoy a sleep in a nice warm bed, love anything football, enjoy art in it’s purest form, adore cinema, love splendid music and all other good pleasures this life has to offer. I’m also an advocate for treating all men right and with equity because I believe that is the only way we build a better world.

Males in nursing is not something regularly seen. What made you choose this course?
Yes I must admit, the amount of males in the profession is not substantial and I believe more efforts should be made in other to show the vast majority of the public the important role Nursing plays in the health care sector as such enlightenment at an early age was among one of many decisions that led me to choose this course.

You were NUNSA OOU’s second president. How was your experience of school politics?
What were the greatest lessons you learnt?
Oh boy, do I have stories to tell… It was quite challenging I must admit especially with planning the first ever NUNSA week but we give glory to God that everything turned out well. An important lesson I learnt was to never
underestimate the importance of human networking. In all it was a beautiful experience and I’ll definitely do it again if I had the chance.

What other extracurricular activities were you involved in aside politics and what impact did that have?
Aside from politics, I was quite vested in football and I was a member of the department’s football team. Playing football served as a leisure activity and it was a way of me catching a break during my stay in school. I was also a member of the NUNSA Literary and Debate Club where I participated in a number of quizzes and this served as motivation for me to shore up in areas I lacked and present the best version of myself when called upon to represent.

Do you feel celebrated enough as the first BGS of the pioneer set? Do you feel there’s more to be done in that regard?
Well I’m of the opinion that there’s always room for improvement. As the first set I believe everyone in charge did their best in that regards but as usual, we were the first set to induct so there will always be places for improvement. The media and publicity are areas that can be worked on and I believe as the years come by, indeed improvements will also follow.

Your least favorite subject and why
I pretty much enjoyed most of the courses over my stay in school, but a course I did in 400L concerning Nursing education history and all. I disliked it because it was too abstract and we had to do ALOT of cramming.

Your favorite subject and why
If I had to choose I’ll say Medico-Surgical Nursing or Maternal and Child Health because I enjoyed relating the pathophysiology and learning/solving issues about the human body has always been something that piqued my interest.

Clinical postings are a critical part of Nursing Education. Which one was your favorite?
Neuropsychiatric posting was my favorite because I got to bond with both my course mates and fellow students from other schools over the course of the posting and of course I enjoyed the drama that came with dealing with psychiatry patients too. It was quite a feel good experience.

Your most embarrassing moment during Clinical posting?
I don’t think I had any major embarrassing moment except perhaps moments were I was slightly embarrassed from jeers that usually came from dealing with patients at the ward.

What was your driving force in school?
I’ll say what drove and pushed me was my believe that I could do anything and none of my goals were out of reach. At any point where I hit stumbling blocks, I always believed all I had to do was to take a step back, regroup and go again. Another set of motivation were the people I had around me who believed in me and I always had it in mind to never let them down.

What advice do you have for upcoming Best Graduating Students?

Live a little, engage in extra curricula activities, forge friendships, network and keep working on yourself. Always remember NOTHING on God’s green earth is impossible, if you can dream it you can achieve it.

Do you have an opinion on a specialization? If yes, why?
Let me just say I’ll be specializing in the most lucrative aspect of Nursing by God’s grace

If not Nursing, then what?
Mathematics, I found out I had a thing for numbers recently.

Who and what were you most grateful for during school?
I am most grateful for the gift of friendship, I met people like Bakare and Okusanya who became family to me and for this I’m always grateful. I am also grateful for my lecturers, course mates, my experience and other acquaintances over the course of my journey here. Without you all I’m nothing, thank you so much, these last five years were magical.