Amah Cynthia’s journey to nursing and nursepreneur story.

First off, I’d like to thank you for agreeing to have your real-life story featured on Nursingpreneur. I’m building a high-quality resource platform for all budding nursing and midwifery students. Therefore, your experiences, thoughts, preferences, and suggestions are immensely valuable for Nursingpreneur’s growth.

To that end, I must say that it’s great to have you here. 

Now, I’d like you to answer the following questions so that we can shed light on your story and experiences in an engaging way.

Let’s start! Shall we? (Write as much as you want, there’s absolutely no limit)

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? How has life been treating you?

My name is Mrs. Amah Cynthia Chineye (Inc, RM, RN), am a graduate of Babcock University Ogun State, Nigeria. A mother of 3 lovely kids and a Nursepreneur. Well, life indeed has been beautiful I must say, considering how far I have gone, how it all started, my experiences, my journeys, my family, and my career. Though I am not yet there, am still a work in great progress, I give God all the praise and I thank God for life so far.

How did you get into your current field? And do you enjoy doing it? (E.g. of Fields such as nursing, and midwifery).

Woow… my career as a nurse/midwife started in 2004. Before then, I always wanted to study theatre act and be an actress or studied Mass communication. But one thing led to another. In fact, I remember I featured in “I need to know” a TV series back then 2002/2003 with Funke Akindele as Bisi.

I got a call from my mum that she would want me to take a nursing form and study Nursing. To cut the long story short, I wrote the exams and found myself in the North, college of nursing and midwifery, Minna and Bida respectively. But then, I made a promise to myself that I would get to the peak of this profession in other to find fulfillment.

I am still in that journey of fulfilling my career journey, it has never been by my strength but by God’s who has always been there for me.  I would say I enjoy doing Nursing because I have come to love it as a career and as a profession. I am a proud Nurse and I love my job. Smiles…

Could you please tell us about your favorite nursing or midwifery moment? (keeping things confidential for clients involved)

There are very key moments in my career as a Nurse, with my patients and with my fellow Nurses. Every time I touch the lives of my patients and their relations, I go home a fulfilled person. I remember the time of Ebola, in one of the places I have worked, we admitted a patient who had a DIC but was misdiagnosed because the obvious signs were that of Ebola.

I and a few of my colleagues were all out with team spirit to protect ourselves and we prayed together for God’s protection. That moment was so special to me.

What is the most striking moment of personal “failure” you’ve experienced in nursing or midwifery? 

I have had setbacks, I have seen my mates graduate while I stayed back an extra year. I have been told to repeat my clinical.  All these I overcame in Nursing to be where I am today.

How did you cope up with your failure?

Well, I have always believed in the proverb that says “ We only fail to try again”. Failure is not the end of one’s life. I have high determined spirit and each time I fall, I quickly rise to make adjustments. I also have a very strong supportive partner who will never stop praying for my success.

Okay! Let’s have a little insight into your entrepreneurial life.

1. First things first, what comes to your mind when you think about entrepreneurship, in general? 

Like I was taught in school, entrepreneurship is just about taking a risk in starting up a business. Therefore, when I hear the word entrepreneurship, I hear business, and business is about the exchange of goods and services for money.

2. what comes to your mind when you think about entrepreneurship in relation to nursing/midwifery?

Entrepreneurship in relation to Nursing is being your own boss. Not depending on your monthly income. You can choose to remain a nurse and still be a Nursepreneur, and that’s my concept behind the Nursepreneurs in Nigeria platform on Facebook and Instagram, where nurses who are already in the entrepreneurship world can motivate aspiring ones to get something doing aside from being a nurse.

With the pandemic of COVID, it is now dawn on people that having multiple streams of income has become a necessity and the digital market have also taken over the world at large and nurses should not be left out of this innovation.

       3. How do you think entrepreneurship or business per se associates with a nurse’s/midwife’s life (Influence on midset/expansion of opportunities, etc.)

As nurses, we have strong communication skills and that’s what matters in business. Your ability to convince people to patronize your services or goods is what determines an entrepreneur’s success. The thought of being a Nursepreneur came to me this year 2020, though before then, I was into the supply of delivery pack for mother, but I needed to do more and at this time, I thought of something for both domestic and commercial use… I was pregnant at that time and wanted something to occupy my time during my maternity leave, and there came the pandemic, everyone was looking for sanitiser, bleach and every possible disinfectant, so I learned how to make sanitiser, bleach, liquid soap and others. So this was how I started my production and supply to schools, hospitals, churches and so on.

The pandemic came as an eye-opener for most people, it really thought me to have multiple streams of income. I have other things I do right now, E-commerce, digital marketing and the likes have come to stay and everyone is keying so strongly to it. Though I am taking it easy, one step at a time, am still a baby in the world of entrepreneurship, I hope to grow, to partner with great minds, colleagues who are interested in entrepreneurship and I hope to achieve that soon.

Now, let’s get into the most asked questions. 

       1. How did/do you maintain consistency in your doings?

I always try to create time for myself, my career and my business, I don’t allow clash or bridge in-between. I take it easy, one step at a time to avoid being overwhelmed with the rush that comes with it. Maintaining consistency is key to every business but it should be done at your convenience. Moreover, the internet has made things easy, so at the comfort of your home, you can market, receive orders and deliver.

       2. How do you set priorities in your work?

I believe in planning. I set my target for the day, I plan how I want my day to go and I write out my schedule and follow it just the way I have written it. I try not to overwhelm myself with work, I do the most challenging first and then others.

       3. If you had one piece of advice to give an aspiring nursing and midwifery student, what would it be?

Diversification. The world is a global village, the future is coming with new innovations, technology and all, build yourself, upgrade your career, take courses outside your field. Lastly, be the best at what you do.

The most important question coming your way.

Caffeine or not caffeine for shift work?

Nah!! Not caffeine. I always like to work with my head intact. I like to sleep, so I sleep to be active.

Where can people reach out to you? (social media and email) 

Email: cyntizip2006@yahoo.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nurseprenuers_in_nigeria

Facebook: Nursepreneurs in Nigeria