As healthcare systems across Africa confront persistent clinical inefficiencies, rising rates of adverse drug events, and resource limitations, a growing chorus of professionals are calling for innovation at the point of care. Few voices in that conversation are as qualified or as convincing as Adanna Umeano, a U.S.-based Nigerian clinician who has built a formidable reputation for her dual expertise in pharmacy and nursing.
Currently serving as a clinical leader at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Adanna is spearheading a new model of care—one that breaks the long-standing silos between pharmacists and nurses and bridges the disconnect between therapeutic planning and clinical execution. Her work is not only saving lives in complex trauma and surgical units in the U.S., but is also laying the foundation for practical, scalable reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. In this in-depth interview with Racheal Olatayo, she shares her cross-continental journey, her clinical philosophy, and her bold vision for transforming Nigerian healthcare delivery.
What first inspired your model of integrated clinical care?
The vision really took root during my internship at National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria’s leading federal tertiary institution. I was honored to be named Best Clinical Pharmacist at the end of my rotation, but that title didn’t distract me from what I witnessed on the ground. Too often, medications were delayed, miscommunicated, or improperly administered, not because people weren’t trying, but because of structural silos between pharmacists, nurses, and doctors. I saw prescriptions written with precision, but execution at the bedside would fall short. That disconnect led me to make a bold decision: to combine my pharmaceutical training with a full nursing education. I didn’t want to just plan the care, I wanted to deliver it, understand it from every angle, and eliminate the blind spots.
What challenges did you encounter while transitioning into the U.S. healthcare system?
It was both humbling and transformative. Moving into a different clinical culture, academic structure, and patient engagement style was a huge adjustment. But my pharmacy background gave me a distinct edge. At Drexel University, I didn’t just study nursing, I enriched it. I brought pharmacokinetic reasoning into bedside assessments and quickly became a peer tutor. I was awarded the Helen Fuld Health Trust Scholarship and selected into high-level clinical mentorships that shaped me into a leader. It wasn’t long before my professors and mentors began to see what I saw: a new kind of clinician who could interpret lab data, anticipate drug interactions, and guide treatment plans—all while staying grounded in patient advocacy. This dual training empowered me to step into leadership circles focused on patient safety and clinical innovation.
Can you give us a practical example of how your dual skillset has made a difference in your current role?
One moment that stands out was in the trauma recovery unit, where I was managing a patient who had undergone emergency abdominal surgery. The attending team had prescribed an analgesic and a routine antibiotic, both of which looked fine on paper. But because I could simultaneously interpret the patient’s liver function results and understand the pharmacokinetic profiles of both drugs, I identified a metabolic interaction that could have resulted in acute hepatotoxicity. I escalated it quickly, and the regimen was adjusted. That intervention prevented what could have become a life-threatening post-operative complication. This is exactly where interdisciplinary thinking saves lives. Most errors don’t come from ignorance, they come from fragmentation. My job is to connect the dots in real time.
Let’s bring it back home. What are your goals for the Nigerian healthcare system?
Nigeria needs a new healthcare delivery model—an integrated, interdisciplinary model that dismantles the silos. I’ve seen firsthand how nurses, pharmacists, and physicians working collaboratively not hierarchically, can reduce errors, improve efficiency, and enhance outcomes. I’m currently developing a pilot framework for implementation in Nigerian teaching hospitals. The goal is to create a rotational training module where pharmacy and nursing interns conduct joint ward rounds, co-lead case reviews, and share responsibility for treatment execution. This model doesn’t require massive capital investment. It just requires rethinking workflow, redefining accountability, and retraining expectations. I believe it can reduce preventable drug complications, cut down on redundant prescriptions, and most importantly—save lives.
Have you already begun work on this initiative? Yes. I’ve begun drafting the framework and held early-stage consultations with colleagues in academic medicine and clinical administration in Nigeria. The idea is to develop context-specific tools—checklists, communication templates, and reporting dashboards—that fit our unique operating realities. Nigeria has brilliant clinicians. What we lack is coordination and structure at the bedside. My goal is to bring proven models, adapt them to our context, and create a measurable improvement in medication safety, interdisciplinary trust, and patient engagement.
What advice would you offer to young Nigerian clinicians who want to follow a path similar to yours?
First, don’t accept dysfunction as normal. If you see gaps in the system, don’t wait for permission to fix them. Step up. Also, don’t let yourself be boxed into one discipline. The best innovations often come from the intersection of fields. Pharmacy and nursing may seem separate, but when they combine, they can radically transform patient care. Finally, be driven not just by ambition, but by service. Clinical excellence is not about personal titles—it’s about preventing harm, preserving dignity, and doing right by patients every single day.
What would you say to Nigerian health policymakers reading this? I would say this: systemic change is possible without systemic collapse. You don’t have to overhaul the entire system to make an impact. Start by enabling collaboration. Incentivize interprofessional learning. Invest in protocol standardization. And listen to clinicians—especially those on the ground. We are not short of solutions in Nigeria. We are short of structure, support, and strategic implementation. I’m ready to work with anyone committed to making that change real.
