A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NURSE by PRIANA PANAKAL

It’s been two years since I started out as a nurse and if I had to describe it in one word or even one sentence, I really couldn’t. One day you’re so confident that you’ve picked the right career and the next, you’ve had a day from hell and you’re not sure if you want to come back the next day. But that’s the fun of it! It has taught me a lot. Like going home on time really does depend on whether you can hold your pee through the whole shift. If you indulge in that toilet break. That’s it, your perfectly planned out schedule goes up in smoke and you’re going home at 5 when you were meant to finish at 3.30! But on a more serious note, my time management has never been better.

Another thing I have discovered is that these days there is almost nothing that can gross me out. I’ve had to scoop up vomit, had faeces on my scrubs, been coughed phlegm on (only just missed my mouth, but the patient couldn’t help it). So yes, bodily fluids don’t phase me at all! But I think that is what allows us to make our patients comfortable with us at their most vulnerable. We’re not weirded out easily. We’re able to take socially awkward situations and still manage to connect with our patients. And that is the beauty of my profession.

I have to say the best part about my job is interacting with different people. They’re not always the best interactions. But it does make it all worth it when you’re able to make that patient who is just so frustrated with the amount of time he’s been in hospital, have a few laughs with you. It’s those moments that make my work meaningful.

We don’t get public holidays but I have to say working Christmas day was the best. I was tired, a little down that I could be with my folks at church, but giving a little joy to the patients with me, who also weren’t able to be with their families, made me understand the true meaning of Christmas. People are why I do what I do. From the high strung prisoner to the scared 15 year old, there is ALWAYS a way to connect with any individual. It’s a matter of putting in the time and effort to find out how.

At the end of the day, nurses are able to take in a high amount of emotional, mental and physical stress and are still able approach situations calmly, still able to empathise with patients and their families, and still have enough left over to invest love and care into their own personal lives. Nurses are resilient. Nurses are badasses. And I’m very proud to be one of them!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wonder Women World.