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Nursing, as a profession, is relatively young. It dates back to
the year 1860 in Great Britain, when Florence Nightingale established the first
school of nursing at St. Thomas' Hospital in London. Her services during the
Crimean War earned her a large sum of money from the British public, which she
used to train future nurses. This marked the beginning of training schools for
nurses attached to large hospitals in most countries, including Malaysia.
Nowadays, nursing is a recognized profession, and all girls
entering it are required to have a good standard of education. Generally, no one
is admitted as a student nurse without a good pass in the General Certificate
Examination at Ordinary Level. The nursing course typically begins at the age of
eighteen, and the years between sixteen and eighteen are challenging to fill in.
Pre-nursing courses at Technical Schools cater to this age group, and attending
these courses often allows girls to fit in a less exacting paid job, earning
some money while preparing for their training.
The three years of intensive training begin at the age of
eighteen, during which girls attend lectures given by senior nurses, tutors, and
doctors. They must read and study to pass theory examinations in subjects such
as physiology, anatomy, and hygiene. They also do practical work and learn
bed-making and bandaging, which they practice on a life-size doll. Later, they
are given training in all the different departments of a large hospital,
including outpatients and the operating theatre.
At the end of the training, there is a final examination that
includes both theoretical and practical aspects. If the student nurse passes,
she is fully qualified and entitled to call herself an S.R.N. - a State
Registered Nurse. These letters are highly cherished, and there is now a State
Roll of qualified nurses to ensure that amateurs and charlatans do not prey upon
the sick and pretend to be qualified when they are not.
A girl lacking academic ability but having a highly developed
sense of vocation can become a State Enrolled Nurse. The training for this is
only two years, and there are no State Examinations. The nurses' work and
progress are merely assessed, providing an alternative way for such girls to
enter the nursing profession.
There are various avenues available to trained nurses, including
hospital work ranging from the care of the elderly sick to the care of newborn
babies and expectant mothers. Nursing is now also done in patients' homes, and
the District Nursing Service trains girls to visit the sick at home. For those
with a special vocation, there is the care of the mentally sub-normal or
physically handicapped. There are also unlimited opportunities for travel, as
all countries short of trained nurses may seek the services of newly trained
nurses.
The conditions of service for nurses are not as good as they
ought to be. The hours are long, the work is hard, and the pay is not enough.
Recently, nurses in Britain 'staged' an informal one-day strike to keep up with
the cost of living. Since then, they have received pay rises that are richly
deserved. In the nursing profession, personal qualities are essential, and
nurses must have a genuine desire to serve humanity. They must be scrupulously
careful and conscientious, taking no chances when a life may be at stake. Nurses
must be able to take orders and accept discipline while also being self-reliant
and prepared to take the initiative, if necessary. With skill and patience,
nurses help their fellow men and women when they need it most. |
