Heart and Soul: Nurses go above and beyond duty to deliver every single day

The writer and her daughter, a registered staff nurse, spending quality time together after borders reopened. Photo: Chan Yee Ai

May 12 is International Nurses Day. Happy Nurses Day to all the nurses in Malaysia.

When my daughter wanted to choose nursing as her career path, many relatives and friends gave negative responses. They said it is stressful and "nobody wants to do" kind of job. But my daughter insisted it's her calling and, today, she is a full-time registered staff nurse. She has never regretted becoming one. When my mother-in-law was too frail to take a bath by herself, my daughter helped. When I went for a major operation, she nursed me back to health.

For those people who want to choose this profession, I would say it requires compassion, a lot of sacrifices, and good interpersonal skills. But you have the privilege to help others in need. You are special because you are God's chosen ones to care for others.

I hope as our country progresses from the Covid-19 pandemic to the endemic stage, we will never forget the sacrifices of nurses these last two years. The public needs to be educated so that they have fewer misconceptions of the nurse's role and social stigma. Nurses' rights, safety and well-being must be protected.

After two years of working without having a day off since March 2020, my daughter was finally able to spend a week of quality time with me when the Malaysia-Singapore border reopened.

Again to all the Florence Nightingales out there, Happy Nurses Day 2022. Thank you for choosing this noble profession. Thank you for going above and beyond duty to deliver every single day.