The various Nurses groups, that congregated on the expansive LASUTH mini stadium, in unison, acknowledged Modupe Jokotola Shode as ‘the other Nightingale’ because of her kindness, humility, the determination to ‘always ready to assist’ on the job and extreme dedication to the nursing profession.
Florence Nightingale, who lived between May, 12, 1820, to August, 13, 1910, was an English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She is one of the most famous people of her era.
Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by her during the Crimean War, where she organised the tending to wounded soldiers. She gave nursing a highly favourable reputation and became an icon of the nursing profession, especially in the persona of “The Lady with the Lamp” making rounds of wounded soldiers at night.
The 2005 set of Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs), went a step further, “in appreciation her doggedness and faithfulness to the cause of the Nursing profession in Nigeria and Lagos State in particular, declared Modupe Jokotola Shode as a social reformer in the class of the legendary Florence Nightingale and conferred on her the “Jagaban of LASUTH”.
Nothing could be emotional than when Moladun Oyebode, a nursing staff was called to mimic the “disciplinarian Jokotola Shode in action.” She is a disciplinarian, yet deeply loved by the generality of the Nurses in Lagos State. The retiring Assistant Director of Nursing, according to the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Wale Oke, described her as “a very dedicated officer”
According to Prof. Oke, “I met her about 5 and half years ago. The first thing that struck me about her is that she knows the name of every nurse in LASUTH.” The CMD noted that Mrs. Shode out of hardwork and dedication to duty “made my job easy.
He concluded that “but for civil service rules that made the event of today inevitable, we have no choice but to let her go.” Prof. Oke therefore congratulated Mrs. Shode and the entire Shode family for her achievements and concluded that he will highly recommend her for future responsibilities.
Speakers after speakers, heads of the various nurses’ groups, eulogized Mrs. Shode for being “a good mother who never spoke evil about any nurse and was always there to defend them when the need arises.
Modupe Jokotola Shode, a Deaconess of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, is a native of Imeko, Ogun State, was born in Lagos on August 12, 1959. She assumed office as Apex Nurse in April 2014 and retired in May, 2017.
She began her academic pursuit at Methodist Primary School, Oshodi from 1966-71 and the Awori/Ajeromi Grammar School, Apapa between 1972-76. She proceeded to the school of Nursing for a Certificate in Nursing from 1977-1980 and later Midwifery from 1988-89.
She also holds a diploma in Nursing Administration from the University of Benin, a BNSC degree and a Master in Public Administration. She is a seasoned Administrator of about 20 years whose work profile has gone round all the General Hospitals in Lagos State.
Mrs. Shode has attended several professional development courses, amongst which are performance improvement and workshop on new Health Reformation at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria and University College of Ibadan respectively.
Her moment of joy was when Mr. Shode, the ‘administrator par excellence,’ sandwiched by nurses, did a victory lap amidst dancing and thanks giving songs round the LASUTH mini stadium, filled to capacity by various Nurses’ groups who later took turns to present her gifts.
An elated Mrs. Shode thanked all including the CMD, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, professional colleagues, friends and families for the support she enjoyed while in service and even at her retirement.
She enjoined Nurses to be hardworking, rededicate themselves to their duties and put God first.
With the song; “For she is a Jolly good fellow… so say all of us” Nurses at LASUTH drew the curtain on Mrs. Shode’s 35 years of service as a nurse in Lagos State Civil Service.
