Human face of healing
A health care system’s strength lies in its hospitals, technology, and doctors, but the backbone of the health care system lies on the shoulders of its nurses. Nurses are aptly called the backbone of the health care system as they are the only ones who are in close proximity to the patient at all times, at all stages of their sickness. This is true not only in the case of Kashmir but all over the world, as nurses selflessly work, day and night, not only in the district, tertiary care, and rural health setups but in all the health care initiatives.
Nursing is not only an occupation based on scientific knowledge; it is a service profoundly linked to mankind. Of course, the treatment of a patient at any medical institution begins with a nurse, while very often it ends with the same person. Nurses are the ones who monitor the vital signs of the patient, as well as the administration of drugs, to make sure that the treatment plan is carried out. More importantly, it can be stated that the continuous observation of the patient, which helps the medical personnel detect any changes, big or small, signaling potential danger, very often remains the concern of the nurse, who saves the life of the patient even before the doctor treats the latter.
“Patient safety is one of the most important professional mandates that nurses have.” Indeed, the nurse is the first line of defense in the healthcare system and protects the patient against infections, medication errors, and other injuries that are generally preventable. Nowadays, at least in public hospitals, care is rendered by only one nurse for more than one patient concurrently, and this makes the mandate even more challenging. Despite all these challenges, the nurse continues offering diligent care.
Apart from the physiological needs, nurses also show emotional support to the patients, which can never be overlooked in the healing process. Illness can provoke fear, anxiety, and uncertainty not only in the patient, as one might assume, but also among the patients’ families. Nurses listen to patients, reassure them, and comfort them in their times of need, and in the process, they become the patients’ best friends during a difficult period in their lives. Healing can begin not with a medicine or a piece of equipment, but with a gentle voice during a long night of work when the entire hospital is asleep and a tired nurse quietly checks on a patient.
Nurses can also function as teachers or promoters of health. Nurses educate patients on medicine, diet, hygiene, wound care, and lifestyle changes, which empower patients in understanding their condition as well as working toward their full recovery. Additionally, in community practice, they significantly contribute in programs of immunization, mother and child care, as well as health education. The role of nurses in preventive care cannot be overemphasized, especially in remote areas where it can be difficult for patients to see doctors, but in their presence, care does not have to be interrupted.
Despite their invaluable contributions, nurses work in conditions that pose significant challenges to them. This is in terms of extended working hours, employee burnout, lack of adequate staff, as well as inadequate facilities. Amongst the group of people on the front lines of public health emergencies and crises, nurses feature significantly, taking care of patients while many times risking their own health.
As a nursing student, I believe that nursing offers a special blend of science and humanity. Nursing education instills discipline, moral accountability, and empathy. Nursing education prepares us to view patients not as patients, but as people with dignity, fear, and hope. The nursing vocation also involves a dedication to service and a commitment to lifelong education and requires a certain degree of emotional fortitude.
In the contemporary world of advanced medical technology, the role of the nurse has become all the more complex and critical. Technologies can certainly track vital signs and medications can certainly cure diseases. But there is nothing that can replace the need for human touch. The nurse performs the role of preserving the humane aspects of medicine that technology cannot replace.
Least to say. Nurses constitute the invisible Pillar of the health care system. They can act as caregivers, observers, teachers, and advocates who labor devotedly without any acknowledgment. Without the invincibility of health care, the backbone of the health care system cannot remain strong. In fact, appreciation and recognition of nurses, as well as attention to their work environment, constitute more than gratification—to strengthen an enabling health care system.
Mohammad Arfat Wani, a passionate writer and nursing student from Kuchmulla Tral
