Twelve-hour-long shifts, dirty clothes and emotional fatigue form the daily reality of a nurse, but they would not trade this for any other job. This is according to Sister Agnes Marlow of the Netcare Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth. International Nurses’ Day, which is held on May 12, was celebrated at this hospital last Friday. ‘What people see on television, is not real. They [nurses] do not get dirty, don’t look tired, their nails don’t look like mine – theirs look fantastic. The real nurses have passion; they fight to pull a patient through…and if the patient dies, they cry because it feels like family,’ said Marlow, whose nursing career spans 28 years. Danielle Fataar, manager of about 400 nurses at this hospital, said it takes a unique, caring person with empathy to be a nurse. “It is a 12-hour shift of self sacrifice. They leave their problems and families at home to be at work, where they give their time, energy and care to patients. They walk every step with the patient on their journey. Nurses don’t get enough recognition and they really need a day to show how special they are.’ From left are Candice Goldman, André Bothma (general manager) and Melissa van Gent. Photo: LULAMA ZENZILE
TWELVE-HOUR-LONG shifts, dirty clothes and emotional fatigue form the daily reality of a nurse, but they would not trade this for any other job.
This is according to Sister Agnes Marlow of the Netcare Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth. International Nurses Day, which is held on May 12 annually, was celebrated at this hospital last Friday.
“What people see on television, is not real. They [nurses] do not get dirty, don’t look tired, their nails don’t look like mine – theirs look fantastic. The real nurses have passion, they fight to pull a patient through…and if the patient dies, they cry because it feels like family,” said Marlow, whose nursing career spans 28 years.
Danielle Fataar, manager of about 400 nurses at this hospital, said it takes a unique, caring person with empathy to be a nurse.
“It is a 12-hour shift of self sacrifice. They leave their problems and families at home to be at work, where they give their time, energy and care to patients. They walk every step with the patient on their journey. Nurses don’t get enough recognition and they really need a day to show how special they are,” Fataar said.
