Introduce yourself.
My name is Xu Yan. I’m a Clinic Nurse at FeM Surgery. When I was younger, I remember following my father to send my aunty to the hospital for her night shift. She was also a nurse. She looked so pretty in the white uniform. It was then when I told myself that I want to be a nurse.
What have you learned on your caregiving journey?
When I was still a junior, I worked in the A&E department. I saw many of my senior nurses trying their best to save their patients’ lives. They didn’t care if the patients’ blood would stain their white uniform or if they had been exposed to danger. They took care of their patients, especially the elderly, as though they were their own family members. They showered them, brought them to the toilet, and fed them attentively. Now that I’ve worked for 18 years as a nurse, I constantly remind myself of the things that I should do to be a good nurse. I try my best to put myself in my patient’s shoes and treat them just like how I would treat my own loved ones.
Caregiving can be very challenging. What keeps you going?
Frankly, a nurse’s job can be tough and challenging. Let me share a short story. I had a patient who was diagnosed with breast cancer. When I approached her to schedule her next treatment, she shouted: “Can you just leave me alone?!!”. I was confused and wanted to just leave her alone but I said to myself “I am a nurse, I should care about the patient’s feelings more than my own”. So I offered her a cup of warm water, sat down beside the patient, lowered my voice and spoke to her. She eventually felt better. Whenever I face situations like this, I say to myself “You are a nurse, you have the responsibility to take good care of your patients’ wellbeing no matter what.”
What would you like to say to someone who might be going through a difficult time?
I know it’s a challenging time and although I won’t be able to fully understand, I will always be here. You’ll always have a friend in me and you are stronger than you think!