How much do you know about our unsung heroes, the nurses? What is nursing? What do nurses do? To solve these questions and improve our understanding of nurse and nursing with love, here we invited a nurse from Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre, Klang for an interview in conjunction for Nurses Day 2020.
1. Personal details: name, age, place of birth, natural status.
Chia Mim Sheh, 34 years old. Born in Johor Bahru. Married with 2 kids (10years & 7 years).
2. Please share with us some background information in regards to your education, from school right up to the time you became a nurse.
Primary school SJK(C) Pei Hwat at Johor Bahru (1993-1998). Secondary school at Foon Yew High School Johor Bahru (1999-2004), Nursing at Nilai University College (2005-2007).
3. How were your early experiences like as a nurse?
In 2008 March, I joined Pantai Hospital Batu Pahat, this is my first job after I graduated. Worked at Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department and nursery. I’m in charge of prenatal, antenatal and post-natal care of the newborn in nursery. During delivery, I will be a cheerleader for mother, perform suction for the newborn, assist Doctor to cut the umbilical cord, give the baby to mother for first-time breastfeeding, measure length & weight, head circumference of the baby. Receiving a new life is a wonderful job as a junior staff nurse. I keep telling myself I am doing the best job in this world.
4. Do you love your job? Please give us the reasons too.
Yes, I love my job so so so much. I love helping others when I was a girl guide, our motto is “help others every day”. After I joined my profession, I can practise this every day with my nursing skill. The smile & response from my patient and their family members made me feel so satisfied.
5. What are the challenging aspects of your job?
There is a lot of challenges in the Critical Care Unit (CCU), the most challenging part is dealing with a critically ill patient on how to provide the best care within the time constrain. Time is limited in CCU, every second to hour that we lost might cause great impact to the recovery for the patient.
6. What is the most memorable moment or moments of your career?
Last year, a patient with complaints of vomiting blood was admitted. He was a kind gentleman who was talking to nurses politely and very loving. The next day when I came for duty, he was intubated and became very ill. He was bleeding through Endotracheal Tube (ETT), every time he coughs fresh blood gushing out from the ETT tube connect with a ventilator to the patient’s lungs. The doctor issued DIL (Dangerous in Life). All the family members accompanied the patient and pray for him. The patient collapsed and we announced code blue. CPR was done and we got back the patient but he suffered from the chest compression. Family members were crying and felt bad. They requested for DNR (Do Not Resuscitate), it means we will not do anything if the patient collapsed again. Family flushed back the memories with the patient with all the wisdom word that he had taught to them. It was a sad moment and even my friends shedding tears with the family. The patient passed away that night without any suffering. We performed LO (Last Office), it means we wipe his body as last respect to the patient. Sending off the patient to heaven is common in our CCU, after receiving new life in the early year, now my job is to send my patient with dignity & full respect.
7. How do you juggle or cope with work life and home/family life?
To be a nurse took me a lot of effort and time. I sacrifice my time with family, especially at the weekend and public holiday to comply with my roster and sometimes I come early or stay back late when CCU needs help from me. It takes a lot of understanding between my family members to cope with my roster and take care of my kids when I am on duty.
8. Please share with us what’s it like to be a nurse. Is it the way you imagined it to be when you were a child? Tell us why.
When I was a kid, I think the nurse is a very noble and holy work and like Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing, the lady with the map takes care of a patient with full passion. Now for me after joined nursing for more than 10 years, a nurse is still noble work, we do more than serving medicine and changing pampers. We explain to the patient before serving medicine, take care of patient dignity and privacy when changing pampers. We help the doctor to carry out treatment and keep the patient active. Very thankful to Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre send me for upgrading course: Post basic in Coronary Care Nursing, trained me for 6 months on critical care for heart cases, so I can be more skilful in my unit and help our doctor to give the best care to my patient.
9. How do you handle stressful situations in your job?
I will always keep calm and give proper instruction to lead my team, very thankful to my CC sister, Sister Uma and with the help of everyone we manage to cope with all the stressful situation here. Out of the hospital, I will enjoy my family time with kids and do some exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
10. What words of wisdom do you have for those who aspire to be a nurse in the future?
Be a good nurse, do good to your patient. One day God will payback for all your kindness.
