A young nurse’s account of pursuing a challenging but noble profession |20 April 2018
On March 9, 2018, Frenie Labelle, a young Seychellois, successfully graduated after a three-year diploma course in Nursing which she had been following at the National Institute of Health and Social Studies (NIHSS).
Also a member of the ‘Youth Action Movement’ (YAM) – a youth-led group that works with other young people in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights -- Frenie shares her journey about pursuing a noble profession and passion that many find too challenging to take up or to persevere through.
Q: What can you tell us about yourself and your educational background?
A: I am 19 years old, soon to be 20 and live at Belvedere. I am the youngest of three children. I spent 6 years at Plaisance primary school, 5 years at Plaisance secondary school and the last 3 years at the NIHSS which ended in December 2017.
Q: Tell us about your journey at NIHSS
A: My journey at NIHSS started in 2015. The course touched on ways to manage patients as a nurse as well as medical conditions, treatments and procedures. I found the course both interesting and a challenge at the same time.
During the first year I faced a lot more challenges than the two years that followed because I needed to adapt to all the changes. I had to change my mind set and find better ways to study which included sleepless nights, but all was worth it in the end.
Some proud moments for me during my time at NIHSS was my ability to work as a team for a health promotion project; I was also proud of my ability to connect with patients during my work attachments.
I graduated last month proudly together with my classmates. My emotions that day were unexplainable; I was filled with tears, joy and fear but I was mostly proud. As a nursing class, we made it as a team even through our downfalls and this was what brought so much meaning to the day, not just the achievements. My family was happy, proud and touched and it was the best feeling having all of them by my side that day.
Q: What inspired your decision to take up nursing?
A: I remember the care I myself received from nurses when I was sick as a child; back then I instantly felt that nursing is a noble job and that I would love to be able to give that type of care. This inspired me to take a path in nursing, to be able to care for other people and bring them comfort through times of illness.
Q: There are many challenges working as a nurse and consequently, many youth are discouraged to take it up as a career. What made you decide to pursue nursing despite the challenges? Would you encourage other youth to do the same?
A: I still pursued nursing because it is a job that I love and which I am passionate about despite the challenges. I do encourage other youth to take up nursing because even if there are challenges, it is always satisfying caring for your patients and seeing them go home healthy with a smile.
My advice to other youth is not to take the challenges as a downfall because there are always new discoveries to be made in nursing and you never stop learning. At the same time, you learn about your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as what touches you as an individual.
Q: What are your hopes and plans for the future?
A: At the moment, my plan is to gain some work experience as a general nurse and also focus on doing A-Level Science. Learning does not end here for me as I wish to earn my degree and specialise in a specific field such as pediatric nursing or emergency.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face as a youth in the field of nursing? How do you feel these challenges can be overcome?
A: Some challenges I face include effective communication and team work. I think that through putting aside our differences, we will promote better communication and enhance team work.
Q: You are also part of the youth-led group YAM. Tell us why you joined as a member, what your responsibilities are and what benefits this movement brings to the youth
A: The members of YAM are youth who talk about sexual reproductive health matters. I joined because I found it to be a really good initiative and another way to increase my knowledge on how to provide information to the youth.
Through YAM, I educate people about sexual reproductive health through various presentations. This helps raise awareness about the risks involved in our actions and the various ways to prevent these. I encourage other young people to join YAM as they will gain knowledge as well as the ability to develop skills such as planning events.
