"Nursing is a noble profession."

A nurse from Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital, Mrs Joyce Mutula, says that most people fail to understand the history behind nurses and why they should be celebrated with regard to their profession.

Mutula shared the story of Florence Nightingale when she emphasised the importance of international nurses’ day. In an interview with Limpopo Mirror, she told the story of Florence Nightingale ‘the lady with the lamp’, who serves as a heroine to all nurses around the world.

“From a young age, I have always wanted to help those who could not help themselves and the past 30 years of being a nurse have been bliss. The victory behind saving a life is priceless,” said Joyce.

Florence Nightingale was born into a rich family as, in those times, nurses generally came from poor families. She referred to it, however, as a calling from God. “It is not always about the amount of income one receives for one's profession; it is more about one’s purpose in life and how we choose to fulfil it,” said Joyce.

In 1854,during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale gathered 38 nurses whom she took with to Crimea in Turkey to tend to the many wounded soldiers. She changed the dirty conditions of the hospital by cleaning the drains, arranging for a supply of drinking water and getting clean sheets and bandages for the hospital stores. “If she could love and care for so many soldiers, who were strangers to her, what more can we do for our fellow South Africans?” Joyce said.

“Helping, passion and caring for other people drove me towards striving to become a nurse. There are many challenges we face as nurses and one of them is the fact that there is an increased burden of diseases. I believe that when you are set on doing something you love, you are always ready for anything,” she added.

Joyce urges people to consider this history, “otherwise we will miss the purpose behind this celebration. In remembrance of Florence Nightingale, we ought to care, love, and nurse our patients with passion. I am satisfied with my job; nursing is a noble profession that comes from within, it is a calling.”

She said that people who had a passion for caring could consider training as a nurse. “It is not always about the money but about satisfaction from within,” she added.

Date:21 May 2017

By: Prudence Bopape

The 22-year-old Prudence Bopape from Ha-Masia village joined the Zoutnet newsroom as an intern on the 1st of February 2017. Prudence completed her Bachelor of Arts degree, specialising in communications, at the Northwest University. She is an avid reader and believes that a good reader makes an excellent writer. "I believe that determination is the is the key to excellence,” she says. 

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