Being Nurse is That Low?

I am encouraged to express some concerns that I have about the misconceptions some people have about certain professions… in this case, the nursing profession.

These concerns emanate from an innocent, but ill informed high school student who addressed me with the following and in my opinion, disturbing statement,  “Kak, kakak ngapain sih jadi perawat? Kerjaannya kan cuma nyuntik doang?” – if I translate into English, “Sist, why did you opt to be a nurse? Their task is too easy, just injecting people”. 

Subjectively, my reaction to this generalised notion regarding 'the professional nurse' was heart breaking. I mean, is this the general perception that people at her level, at least, have? In another circumstance, I have heard claims from some junior doctors, as to how high they hold their personal esteem, compared to other professions and how they actually classed other professions as lowly, in comparison. Objectively, I found these attitudes as annoying, disturbing, and misrepresentative of any existing reality.

In my opinion, every beneficial profession has to be appreciated and respected for their contribution to society and environment alike. Who will help us overcome a crime case if there is no police and legal profession? Who will provide us with rice, vegetables and fruit if there is no farmer? How can we travel without a chauffeur of public and private transportation? How would our life be, without our traditional markets and food vendors? How does a surgical unit or hospital, operate without nurses? Every single profession plays an important role in our lives. There should be no discretion between the importance of one's profession in regard to another's. It actually depends on how passionate and professional we are in carrying out our responsibilities. 

In the case of the nursing profession, all aspects play an important role in providing health services in any given society. How can we allow such a vital service to be underestimated, degraded or allow it to be categorised as an impotent service? Undertaking nursing as a profession is not all plain sailing. Firstly, the studying alone, is quite intense as it concerns an holistic approach. Along with a thorough understanding of human biology (anatomy and physiology), pharmacology, and psychology, it is imperative that we also master the theories and aspects of social and spiritual demands of each individual patient, in our care.

As students, our study fields are broad and in college, we often spend seven hours per day in class time. The lecturer then sets us tasks that we have to submit promptly and this occurs in almost every single course we take. For example, if we have eight courses in a semester, we may have eight tasks per week which is very demanding and sometimes difficult to achieve. We seldom have a ‘free-day’ or ‘me time’ on weekends because we know that these immense tasks have to be submitted in the following days. It’s stressful, tiring and somewhat maddening at times, but, I understand why the academic department in my faculty devises this tight academic system. Their purpose is to help us develop the skills necessary to become a professional nurse. 

In addition, student nurses are required to complete a practical course. As nurses, we have a  24 hour responsibility to our patients. In order to meet their needs and to care for them appropriately, we must be skilled in assessing their needs, listen to their complaints, plan their stay and provide the appropriate therapies to help solve their problems. We are also required to be proficient with all hospital equipment, ethical, policies and procedures. The practical course enhances our capability to encounter these tasks and to perform them safely. Students often inject each other for the sake of improving their skills. It can be painful, but we do this sincerely.

After we have graduated and achieved our bachelor degree, we still have further professional education requirements to complete. I haven’t experienced this yet, but I have heard stories from my seniors that these processes consume much energy, time, thought and finances. This stage is actually even more demanding. We have to work an 8 hour day and if we are required to perform night shift, we have to sacrifice an entire night's sleep. We are also required to rent a house in a settlement in order to complete a community health practice course-this also incurs an extra financial burden. 

As a nurse, whether a student or a graduate, we need to guard against cross infection from disease and open wounds. We need to be astute and perform all procedures safely and correctly. Although we may feel tired while meeting the demands, we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent. Correct procedures and safety techniques are imperative to preserve the safety of everyone and must be strictly adhered to, to prevent the transmission of bacteria, viruses, or other antigens. Communicable disease must also be dealt with caution and discretion.

The requirements that we have to meet can be difficult and very demanding, but everything depends and balances on our individual passion. If we are dedicated, we will succeed and overcome any obstacle that we may face. Passion is the language of soul, indeed. It will launch us into the highest struggle and provide us with enormous energy… it is our vocation and we give everything from within to achieve our goals.

As a society then, it is important that we are educated, especially in primary and secondary schools about the importance of each individual's role in society and how all roles ultimately depend upon each other. This is how we survive domestically and professionally. It is time for the young to stand up and be counted. It is time to shake off discrimination and superstition. There is no triviality about the simplest of tasks, just as there is no superiority with the most difficult. 

As I stated earlier, we are all spokes in the wheel of communication and achievement. We must educate ourselves appropriately with this reality.

This article has been corrected by native speaker: Mr. Allan Bush.