Name: Nazly Boosens
Age: 24
Occupation: Nurse
Describe a typical work day
We work 12-hour shifts. My day starts at around 06h30, and need to be there 15 minutes before that because the night shift needs to hand over a report to the morning shift on everything that took place during the night. The night shift baths the patients, in the morning we prepare them for breakfast. Some patients need to be individually fed, and then the doctors have rounds. The doctor gives new instructions for each patient’s treatment, which we have to administer. Medication is handed out twice a day. Some patients need to be turned over every two hours to prevent bedsores. Every detail needs to be written down, even if you take the patient’s temperature. Cleaning bedpans is part of the typical day, but there is a bedpan cupboard that makes it very convenient and not as bad as it seems.
Is there a dress code where you work?
Hospitals and clinics have different uniforms but you have to look neat. We wear navy and white. The maroon shoulder badges, called epaulettes, distinguish the rank and qualification of a nurse.
Describe your workplace?
I work in a ward where there is a combination of private and semi – private rooms. We have a nurse’s station at the front of the ward, with each bed connected to a panel at the station in case the patient needs assistance. The beds have curtain rails, and we have to wash our hands a lot. Each room has its own linen, stock and sluice (where the bedpans gets washed) cupboard. The nurses have a tea room and there is a canteen where meals are served.
Who do you report to?
Every unit has a charge sister who controls the administration of the ward and she is the one I report to. She in turn reports to the zone sister, who reports to the chief matron, who is in charge of the entire nursing staff.
What do you like most about your job?
I get to meet people and learn about human nature. People in hospital tend to tell you all about their problems and their family. It is really rewarding when patients come in and cannot stand because they are so sick, and in a few days their quality of life is improved.
What do you like least about your job?
When someone dies it is very difficult to deal with. You tend to cry with the family, even though you are not supposed to. You never get used to it, you just learn to cope with it.
What do you have to study to qualify to be a nurse?
I did a four year-diploma in nursing but you can study at a university and get a degree. From the first year, besides the theory, we are sent to a hospital for our practical.
What personal skills are most important to do your job well?
You need to manage your time, but more importantly, you need to be a people’s person. You also need hand skills – that is, to be efficient in dressings wounds.
What is the average starting salary in your job?
R1 500 as a student and R3 800 to R4 200 when you are a registered nurse. Most nurses work overtime to increase their salary.
What advice would you give someone wanting to go into this job?
Keep an open mind. If you give nursing a chance, you might like it. As a nurse, your career options are limitless. You don’t have to work in a hospital, as there are insurance companies that hire nurses. Many nurses in South Africa are leaving to work in Saudi Arabia, so jobs are available.
For more information about the nursing profession contact the South African Nurses’ Council on (012) 420-1000 or the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa on (012) 343-2315
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, April 2001.