“In a society of so many different races, cultures, customs and beliefs, nurses are a universal gift to all. And the dedicated work they do and kindness they deliver on a daily basis should serve as a reminder of the fundamental humanity inside us all.”
~Anonymous
I STILL remember the time I walked in as a houseman into Hospital Kota Bahru (HKB). Being from the Klang Valley, I had no idea what to expect. I knew no one and it was with some trepidation that I took my hopefully confident looking steps into the passage.
It was exactly then that this super confident, capable yet cheerful person in a stiff cap and starched uniform came straight at me. With perfect composure, she took charge of the situation.
My nervousness vanished as she greeted me with great respect and welcomed me warmly into the ward. This was where she and her “band of sisters” moulded me into who I am today. For me, sister Pritam became the person who represented the entire team of nurses who symbolised for me the spirit of HKB.
As I perform my duties daily, I notice with awe the wonderful group of men and women who I would openly and proudly say form the core of the medical profession of this country and everywhere else. It is they who are at the heart of all the hospital and health centres.
We know nurses mainly as people who take care of patients by washing them up, making their beds and administering medication. They are also the immediate point of contact in the absence of doctors. That these duties require a sense of care and commitment that makes them the kin of angels is unquestionable.
But over and above this, they play a less defined, subtle yet undeniable role in creating and maintaining the harmony and smooth functioning of the hospital. They do this by managing the relationships among senior doctors, junior doctors, housemen, technical staff and most importantly, patients and their family.
I observed with disbelief how capably and competently they handle the interface among all. It is they who decide what and how much to tell, and in what manner these should be told, as all these stakeholders in a medical profession interact with each other.
For instance, they will tell a consultant that a particular houseman has drawn blood from a patient when he has not actually done so, and then quickly alert the housemen to do it. I know because I have been there. There have been countless instances when a nurse has stuck their necks out for us who are doctors when we were housemen. I can never forget their help.
I have seen them give a warm smile to the pak ciks and mak ciks as they pass by their beds and pat a child gently on the cheek in passing. All this, even after a gruelling day where they spent more than seven hours being run off their feet.
To me, they stand for all that is best and beautiful in healthcare. God bless them all, Happy International Nurses Day!
*Dr Madhusudhan Shammugam is the Co-founder of Teddy Mobile Clinic and Klinik Yap & Looi
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