Cheers to the Days that Made us Nurses

Mention nursing and so many things come to mind. Some will think of the midwife in the labour ward being so hard on them or their loved one to push the baby. Others will think of the nurse in the theatre in pink sassy scrubs ready for an operation or the one in the general ward who has to muster lots of courage to do wound dressing and bed baths on unconscious or critically ill patients.

Well, nursing is a wide field and this and many more descriptions ascribe to the nurse. I am nurse, in training, but that does not make me any less of a nurse, and here is my experience in the three years I have been a nurse in training.

One thing I have to point out is that so many people confide deep secrets of their lives to us. You realise that health is not merely the absence of illness but wellness of the mind as well.

If your mind (emotions, intellect and reasoning) are affected then you are not healthy even though no part of your body seems to ache.

It’s true what they say: a problem shared is half solved. You may confide in a person for counsel or maybe just so you feel that you are not alone.

I’ve had close encounters: like this elder young man stopping me in the hospital corridor simply because I was in a nurse’s gown, just to open up about his sexual life with his girlfriend who was at full term and about to deliver. I shared the knowledge I had while he shared his and we both came to an understanding.

Nursing is both a science and an art and so learning the anatomy and physiology of the human body alone won’t foot the bill.

You need to learn the art of delivering bad news such as death of a loved one and consoling them, being both understanding of people’s issues and as well rubber tough not to break down with them – kinda like the art of helping a jealous, spiteful neighbour.

The beauty of it all is that as nurses, we have different perspectives on how to deal with the issues we encounter. That makes integration of different people’s perspectives important. We do not make decisions solely, we’ve got to make consultations with fellow nurses.

As you can imagine, mundane tasks get boring, or difficult ones dissuade us, but the passion to help our clients keeps us going. We are advocates for our clients, and have to be constantly aware of anything that happens to them.

If it is a surgical procedure that the doctor or clinical officer wants to perform, to eliminate a pathogen, they have to consult with the nurse, and evaluate risks against benefits.

You may have heard of or encountered a rude, arrogant nurse who probably pissed you off. Yea, I feel you. But have you tried to understand their plight – the circumstances and nature of their job?

D’you take time to put yourself in the shoes of the nurse with a petty salary, working with little or no resources, yet they are expected to  be on their A game? Take a moment and reflect on that. Let us not just condemn them for arrogance displayed at times but rather encourage and appreciate them.

In this regard, much appreciation goes to the World Health Organisation for recognising nurses, and setting apart May 6 – 12 a nurses’ week.

I cannot end this without sharing one heroic moment that I applaud myself for. It was October 2021, I was due for my assessment on a mother in labor.

It’s one of the toughest assessments because you have to get an expectant mother in the latent or active stage of labour then monitor them until they enter second stage of labour, that is, the actual delivery of the baby; then monitor them post-partumly.

These assessments can also be a little hectic, since there’s always a number of students waiting for a chance to get a client.

At the time, clients were hard to come by, so I asked a colleague on night shift to give me a call in case one came in. Then I left the Chuka Sub county Referral Hospital for my house, a few clicks away, hoping to catch a wink, at least. It was midnight.

Hardly a wink enough, I got a call at 3 am. A client had just been admitted. This was my long awaited chance.

I blinked my eyes open from ‘sleep’, cloaked my nurse’s gown onto my pyjamas and rushed to the hospital. A lone, quick dash it was in the deep dark.

Enter the delivery room, and there is my client, a mother to be. I beamed. She lay on the bed, calling out for help: she felt the baby ‘coming out’.

I went to check it out and to my utter surprise, the baby’s head was already visible pushing its way out.

The nurse instinct kicked in. I could not help but quickly don personal protective equipment and support the perineum. I mean, even sleep had left my eyes by then. Phew, it was one successful delivery!

I was so proud of myself for that. I will definitely live to tell of this heroic encounter to my children. I have many other heroic encounters but this one; it’s definitely my favourite.

I dedicate this to my fellow nurses in training or to those aspiring to become nurses. Going higher up the ladder, I look forward to more and exciting experiences, and am hopeful that I’ll write more stories.

Finally, I appreciate nurses for all they do. You are heroes. Keep doing it.

The author Kagure Njagi is a registered community health nursing student at KMTC Chuka.