Medicosnext
Every year, during the month of May, we celebrate the care and leadership of the unsung heroes of the medical world—nurses. Nursing represents the backbone of the healthcare system that performs as a vital resource of ensuring patients’ health and care on a close and daily basis.
Anju Dhungel, Nursing Supervisor at Blue Cross Hospital, reminisces, “At the beginning of our nursing journey as a professional nurse, each of us is filled with vigor and excitement. Every encounter with patients proves to be of immense help in refining our clinical skills.” But, does the position of a professional nurse come easy? Certainly not!
The profession of nursing is not only about caring for someone or assisting the doctors, as many people believe; it is more about being the bridge between patients and doctors. While at the heart of this profession lies compassion and respect for a patient’s needs, the endless amount of learning and dedication covers the mind. In Nepal’s context, one can study Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) nursing, a three-year diploma course that can be joined right after SEE level education, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a four-year nursing program.
Dhungel, who completed her diploma course from Nepal Institute of Medical Science and Technology in 2007, grew up in a household where her parents operated an orphanage named ‘The Direct Help Foundation’. “Through the early experiences of doing good in society, I proudly decided to be a nurse and worked towards making that dream a reality,” explains Dhungel. Soon after she finished her course, she joined hands on a project addressed to the issue of Sanitary Education, where she dedicated her two years into organizing awareness programs about sanitary health to women in rural areas of Nepal. This particular project solidified her passion as a nurse and became the key to her nursing career.
She then worked as a program coordinator in Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery (ANM) section for nine years, and as a lecturer and PCL instructor in various nursing colleges, including Himalayan Nursing College, Kantipur College, and Iwamura College of Health Science, to name a few. Later, in mid-2017, she joined Blue Cross Hospital as Nursing Supervisor and has been working there since, and she is also currently pursuing Master of Nursing Science from Faran College of Nursing, India. “Nursing is a highly challenging career. It’s very tough trying to balance education, work at the hospital, and social life, all at the same time. However, it comes with the rewarding fact that you are able to save someone, help someone in need, and bring a smile of relief and assurance on someone’s face.”
So, what makes a good nurse? In her words, a good nurse knows how to work in a team and execute all responsibilities with the utmost detail and accuracy at all times. The ability to effectively communicate with doctors, patients, guardians, and other staff is equally important, along with the will to never stop learning. A good nurse must also be compassionate; being able to understand and empathize with patients is very crucial. It’s also about having the ability to listen to and encouraging patients to trust you with their healthcare.
Among the thousands of patients Dhungel has looked after in her nursing career, she tries to remember all the faces; their pain and their smile. One such patient of hers was a mother of a six-year-old kid who was admitted to the hospital for stomach treatment. “The patient struggled financially, but our healthcare system helped her as much as it could, taking the minimum amount of treatment fees. Although she went home in a not completely healed situation, I remember the trust she had in us as she softly confided her life and worries to the team of nurses providing care for her.”
When asked about her advice to aspiring nurses, Dhungel carefully says,”Many of us often forget to look after ourselves amidst the busyness that comes with the nursing profession. I’d encourage all nurses to take care of themselves as much as you take care of the patients. Especially in these uncertain times, it’s okay to feel tired and low. Just remember how it feels when a patient leaves the hospital happy and healthy; be courageous and never stop growing.”
