Caring from the heart
IN this fast-paced era where technology reigns supreme and the world is connected with a click of the mouse, it is easy to lose touch with the things that matter.
This can clearly be seen in the career choices of today’s youths, with more opting for jobs that are fun and less stressful.
Brenda Ng Siew Mun, a third-year student nurse from the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing, Petaling Jaya, used to think the same way.
The 20-year-old lass from Kajang, whose mother was a nursing aide, never thought of walking in her mother's footsteps because she felt it was “not cool”.
After her SPM, however, she became disoriented.
Not knowing her life direction, Ng attended a youth camp at her church, where she discovered that her personality was to spread love and joy. That was when she decided to give nursing a try.
“None of my friends chose to pursue nursing, so I had no reference point. I just Googled the best nursing college in Malaysia and came across the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing,” she recalls.
“Apart from its long and established reputation, I was also impressed by the fact that there is heavy emphasis on practical training.”
Her life took a turn for the unexpected with her first hospital training in her third month of studies when she cared for a patient for the first time.
“It was an elderly man with end-stage kidney failure who needed daily haemodialysis,” she says.
Her duties included bringing him hot water, sponging him, changing his clothes and taking care of him.
“It was just simple, caring for him, but he was always so grateful for a little bit of comfort. When he passed away two weeks later, I felt sorry that I couldn’t do more for him,” she says, adding that the experience motivated her to take her studies more seriously.
As a student nurse, Ng faces tight schedules daily, from attending classes to clinical or practical work at Assunta Hospital, doing assignments, sitting for tests and practical assessments. The challenging routine has toughened her but has also made her kinder and more patient.
“My family and friends are surprised at how I’ve changed. I used to be pampered at home but now I’m able to handle tasks that are considered challenging.
“Initially, I also faced problems handling bigger-sized patients because of my small built, but now I’ve learnt the right techniques that enable me to slide and even lift patients who are twice my size,” she shares.
Her aim is to specialise in Critical Care Nursing, as it will allow her more opportunities to provide personalised care to patients compared to the normal ward, where nurses need to handle many patients daily.
“Nursing is no longer just a career option for me. It’s an opportunity to serve people and care, something that is slowly becoming lost in today’s world,” she concludes.
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You can study by yourself and score well, but it may be a lot of work. Form a team to help share the load. Look for strengths and appoint your team – researchers, writers and so on. A group is only as strong as its weakest link, so pick people who you are sure will do their part. Otherwise, you will end up being the goalkeeper as well as the centre forward.
Be the captain
Teams thrive under good leadership. Everyone has to know what they should be doing and when they should deliver. As a team leader, your job is to figure out who needs a nudge now and then to keep on track, and who is better left to themselves. So, don’t be a caretaker manager – analyse your team and be its captain.
Focus on your goal
“Getting an A” may be a goal, but it’s a nebulous thing to aim for. Concrete goals tend to command better results, so set your learning objectives as your goals. Every time you make a goal, get everyone back to the centre spot for some motivational self-praise and a double check on where you’re going next.