Thank you: Nurses pledging to honour the profession during the International Nurses Day celebration in Putrajaya last month. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
ELIZABETH LEEI HAD the opportunity to spend some time in a hospital at the end of last year.
Besides seeing doctors who pronounced our state of wellness every day, it was the nurses who constantly checked on us – the caregivers who stood in the gap as we grappled with our health challenges.With much time to while away, I launched into a mental study of these beacons of our healthcare system, who gently prodded for my vital signs during the wee hours of the morning when all others were asleep.
I came to the conclusion that nurses are indeed the heartbeat of our healthcare system.
Many of us can recall the harrowing images of fatigued healthcare workers, especially nurses, who sacrificed rest and even their own health to take care of patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic brought forth inequalities and demonstrated how social and structural determinants of health affect its outcomes.
Many nurses lost their lives, being at the epicentre of the pandemic. Yet these women and men – yes, there are quite a number of male nurses – do their job with the utmost commitment, a commitment reflected in the Florence Nightingale Pledge that nurses recite: “To devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.” From dispensing vaccines to taking care of us when we are in the hospital, these unsung heroes are more often than not overlooked and taken for granted. At the core of nursing practice lies a profound commitment to caring for individuals, families and communities.
This commitment goes beyond mere duty; it is a calling deeply rooted in empathy, compassion and a genuine desire to ease suffering. Nurses devote themselves tirelessly to providing holistic care, addressing not only the physical needs of patients but also their emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being, sometimes including that of their loved ones.
This is in staying true and faithful to another part of the Nightingale Pledge, which reads, “I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.”
At the forefront of preventive care, nurses actively engage in health promotion and disease prevention initiatives within communities. In fact, nurses are the backbone of preventative care, as I remember the powerful role and advocacy the school nurse played during my school days.
Through education, counselling and community outreach, nurses can empower individuals to take charge of their health in the long term, helping to reduce the burden on the healthcare system. By promoting healthy lifestyles and disease prevention, nurses contribute to the long-term sustainability of healthcare by minimising the need for costly interventions.
As a profession, nursing contributes significantly to the global economy, creating jobs and opportunities for decent work around the world. But there is a global shortage, and nurses are in high demand in many countries, including our own.
I witnessed much-needed wards and even operating theatres that could not be opened due to the lack of nurses to man these facilities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 29 million nurses worldwide. WHO estimates a shortage of 4.5 million nurses by 2030. The International Council of Nurses has referred to the global nursing shortage as a “global health emergency”.
As such, this article is not just a tribute to the Florence Nightingales of our present day but a sincere hope that these incredible individuals, who take up the calling to serve as guardians of care within our healthcare system, may receive much more appreciation from the society they have sacrificed so much for. In conjunction with International Nurses Day, which we celebrated last month, let us cherish their commitment to caring for others and encourage many more to take up this noble profession that is in global demand.
Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee is the group chief executive officer at Sunway Education. A veteran in the field of private higher education, Prof Lee is also an advocate for women in leadership. She has been recognised both locally and internationally for her contributions to the field of education. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
