For us, Its alll work and a little pay

TRIPUNITHURA: For her, nursing is a service. However, C A Vincentia, who bagged the best nurse award from the district recently from Health Minister V S Sivakumar, feels sorry for the ill-treatment meted out to nurses in the state.“Nursing is a profession dedicated to the service of the poor and the needy. Sadly the profession is not given its due recognition,” she said.Serving 14 years of her life in the private sector and then joining the state health service in 2004, Vincentia was horrified at the treatment meted out to nurses by the hospital managements.“In spite of the long hours and overwork the nurses are subject to, the hospital managements are not willing to give them their minimum wages. The recent series of strikes by private hospital nurses against the managements are only an expression of their frustration. It is time the government ensured that the private sector nurses are given their due pay,” she said.She cherishes the glory of nursing that was there once, but has now lost its true meaning with more and more people opting for it as a career choice.Vincentia said that nurses should dedicate their life to help people who are suffering from ailments. She also sets zero time barrier in the  profession. “We should be willing to be at the patients' beck and call at any time of the day or night,” said Vincentia, a mother of two.Family support is a major factor for the nurses, she says. “It is essential that both husband and children should provide them the support they deserve. My family has always supported me throughout my years of service as a nurse. Unless the family is supportive, it becomes extremely difficult for the existence of nursing community,” she smiles.