Kashmir’s Florence Nightingale champions self care, mental well-being for nurses

Srinagar, Jun 25 (PTI) Firdousa Jan, who was recently bestowed the Florence Nightingale award by President Droupadi Murmu, believes that to become good caregivers, nurses need to take care of their own mental and physical well-being.

“Who will nurse the nurses? For a patient, there is a nurse, but there is no nurse for the nurses. So a nurse has to take care of her own mental and physical health before she is able to give care to the patients. They have to manage their stress and have to be physically fit to face all the challenges,” Jan told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Jan was one of the 15 nurses selected across India for the Florence Nightingale Award this year. She was conferred the award on June 22 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi for her efforts in raising awareness about Covid-19 vaccination among the slum dwellers here.

The 45-year-old nurse works at a government hospital and is pursuing PhD in mental health nursing.

Apart from serving her tenure in postoperative, palliative and geriatric care, she counselled oncology patients after her work hours and has written 16 research papers and articles on nursing and issues related to the field.

Having lost her father when she was only three months old and her mother when she had just started the nursing job, Jan is full of compassion and goes beyond the call of duty while giving care to her patients.

When she went on a field visit with her niece during the Covid-19 pandemic who took up nursing following in her footsteps, Jan came across people living in “subhuman conditions” who needed medical help and guidance. This inspired her to volunteer for the Covid-19 inoculation drive launched by TCI Foundation.

Dr Madeeha, a former employee of the TCI Foundation, said Jan’s recognition is a huge matter of pride for all the healthcare workers in the city. She hailed her for “brilliant work” in volunteering and her academic field.

“After finishing her daily duty, Jan used to join us to counsel the people who had myths regarding the Covid-19 vaccine, especially in areas with a very low literacy rate,” Madeeha told PTI.

“Jan’s experience and knowledge even motivated the young TCI volunteers to go that extra mile”, the doctor added.

Sharing her feelings on receiving the award, Jan said, “I get satisfaction with the kind words and prayers that the patients and their relatives say for us. These things matter more than any worldly recognition or wealth. However, I would like to thank the Ministry of Health for having chosen me for the award,” she said.

The Florence Nightingale Award recipient said her best reward was the immense joy her two children got on learning their mother was selected for the honour.

Sharing her thoughts on the future of nursing, Jan said, “The nursing profession is expanding rapidly. Today, a nurse does not merely give an injection or check a patient’s vitals, but does it all, from first aid to handling advanced technology.”