Becoming a nurse is one of the dreams of a lot of students in the Philippines. Sadly, a lot of those dreams are tied towards material gains instead of a genuine desire to ease people's suffering. The opportunity to earn dollars instead of pesos is one such motivation. It's a practical decision made out of necessity.
Poverty is a common sight in the Philippines. It is in our culture however to be very clannish prompting families to create mini-communities in housing compounds. Living together with the rest of your family in a compound has its advantages including being constantly surrounded by people who care about you. On the downside, it's almost a given that you have to share with everyone what you have. Whenever somebody in the family has financial problems it feels like you need to contribute as well. But anyway, that's already moving towards a different topic.
I do believe that nursing, like priesthood, is a vocation. Nursing in my mind is the most compasionate profession. I've decided to take up nursing despite my folks prodding me to take up medicine instead because I think nurses are more aware of how patients feel. They get to interact with the patients at a more personal level and are therefore more attuned to the patient's physical and emotional suffering. It is of little surprise that patients are a lot more responsive to nurses than to doctors.
Doctors can sometimes care for the illness rather than the patient. They just show up for 10-15 minutes and then move on to another patient. One of the reason I took up nursing is because of this. In my hometown for example, doctors charge really exorbitant professional fees regardless of a patient's financial capability. I had first hand experience with this when an uncle got sick. He was really suffering from a different ailment altogether but some of his doctors exploited his situation and performed related but unnecessary procedures just so they can bill him more. When I heard of it, I was really mad at the doctor. For sure not all doctors are like this but I can't help but feel bad towards that guy.
I am now looking forward to the day when I will be a nurse. I hope to be one of the successul passers in the latest nursing board exams in my country. I will be working in the Philippines as a nurse to give back to the community. I plan to work in the provincial hospital so I can care for people who really need good nursing despite their financial standing.
I will then fly overseas to seek greener pastures but always taking into consideration that I am not in the nursing business, I am here to help people, but I also need to take of me. I have to always keep in mind that I am here to help people first and not make a business out of my nursing skills. My only hope is that I will remember my belief and always carry them with me.
Author Resource:
Lito Buenafe is a recently graduated nursing student who hopes to see his name in the July 2010 Nursing Board Exams Results as a successful passer. He took the nursing board exams last July in his home country the Philippines.
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