Life as a male nurse

By DIANA ROSLAM

Want to know what it's like to be a nurse? Join us for an interview with Ahmad Tarmimi Halideh who has been working at Pantai Hospital Pandan Indah for the past seven years. Clad in a blue uniform and an orange bandana, the beaming nurse shares with us his experiences, insights and aspirations.

How did you get started in nursing?

I was working at pretzel shop Auntie Anne's in KLCC for six months while waiting for my STPM (Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia) results. At that time, I saw an advertisement calling for student nurses, with the note “male nurses encouraged” in bold. I thought to myself, “Why not?” It was a good opportunity for me. I sent in all my documents, went for the interview and before I knew it, I was enrolled in the Pantai Nursing College.

Who influenced you to take up nursing as a profession?

No one did. I wanted to study medicine, although my passion was both medicine and literature when I was younger. I like the idea of helping people. Even in school, I participated in PBSM (Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah/Red Crescent Society) all the way throughout. You'd never find me in other clubs.

Were your parents approving of you becoming a nurse?

My mother is a housewife and my father worked as a Felda settler in a rural area in Taiping. None of my siblings or relatives was a nurse. They were 110% supportive since the beginning. I am truly grateful to my parents. I worked hard to be where I am right now, I am proud to say that I even influenced my sister to become a nurse!

Do you have to be a straight A's student to become a nurse?

No, you don't. I was lucky at that time as requirements to enter nursing school was only a credit in science and maths. I was not a science stream student and I have never studied biology. Studying nursing was tough but I had my classmates to help me.

How many boys were there in your class?

Not many. The ratio was one boy to nine girls. There were 42 of us altogether, with just three boys. There were six classes with 10 to 15 boys for the duration of six semesters.

Where were you posted after college?

We were each posted to different hospitals. I started my life as a nurse here in this hospital. I was placed in the emergency department (ED) for six months intensive on-the-job training. It was aggressive and stressful as there were a lot of things to learn. Being a Junior Nurse, I learnt a lot and quickly, too, from one case to another. I was transferred to the operation theatre (OT) shortly after as they needed more male nurses in that department.

How different was it from what you learnt in college? It was more practical, rather than theory. Concentrating on theories alone won't make you a nurse. Remember, you are not handling machines; you are dealing with humans and their emotions. You need to know their illnesses, their symptoms, their characters and their sensitivity levels.

Patients come from all walks of life. As a nurse, you will be posted to many places; from Bangsar to Sungai Buloh. You will be taught how to treat people according to their standards and ranks.

What has being in the OT taught you?

I learnt my role and responsibilities in the OT - what I need to do and how to manage patients as I directly assist the doctors in surgery. For example, if you are a scrub nurse, you should know how to wash your hands, how to wear gloves, how to assemble instruments, and the list goes on. The main principle is to be one step ahead of the doctor. Surgery is a critical time for everyone who is in the room; the nervous patient, the anaesthetist who monitors the patient's condition, the surgeon who operates and the nurses. Missing a step is not an option. We try to avoid unnecessary problems and make sure the patient has a good recovery.

Are you allowed to observe other operations?

Yes, we are. However, we can only be in one room at a time as multiple entries in and out of the room will encourage microorganisms. When observing, you need full concentration and time as you learn.Studying is a neverending process, especially with the technology we have. I am still learning although I have only been in the OT department for the past few years.

Did you ever get surprised looks or refused to be treated because you are a male nurse? No one refused but I did get funny looks and reactions, which made me conclude that those patients didn’t want to be treated by me. Most of them thought I was a medical assistant. A few actually asked, “Huh, you're a nurse?” Even doctors came up to me and remarked, “Really, a nurse?” I find it intriguing but eventually, I learnt to accept it. I think the mentality is different nowadays compared to when I first started.

Are there any differences in terms of job scope and responsibilities for male and female nurses?

No. Gender shouldn’t be an issue; we should focus more on their attitude, performance and capabilities. As the head of this department, I work with both male and female nurses. I need to understand each gender, their aspects and sensitivities. I practice open discussion and I encourage my nurses to ask me questions if they have queries. I wouldn't want them to keep their feelings bottled up inside and induce more stress which will affect their work.

What did your friends say about your profession when they found out?

Most of them didn’t say anything, but there were a few curious ones. “Are you sure you are a nurse?” was one of the questions I received. I had a housemate who didn't believe that I was a nurse until I showed him my nursing certificate. He was still puzzled as he replied, “Are you sure? Is it even possible?” I find it amusing because people normally associate nurses with women, like Florence Nightingale. But if you look at the history, it was men who were nurses and took care of people during the plague and soldiers during the early wars.

What are your working hours?

My working hours are the usual nine to five but I am on standby most of the time. When I first joined, I was on call most of the time, with a grace period of half an hour to get to the hospital. You need to be alert and quick, as they might call you while you were sleeping in the middle of the night.

Normally, the first thing nurses would think of when they get those kinds of calls is what is the emergency. They will be informed immediately of what kind of situation they will be in, whether it is a fatal distress, etc.

What are your responsibilities now?

I am the Head of OT, managing 25 nurses. I teach and guide them with everything that I know from studying and experience. I advice my team of nurses to come and look for me if they need assistance or guidance. I prefer them to make mistakes now and discuss with me rather than making mistakes in the OR. Patients come to our hospital with hopes of you having a cure and answer for them, not to incur further harm. I don't want mistakes to happen. Whatever I do, I do it for the benefit of the patient and personal satisfaction.

What are the satisfying aspects of the job?

I am proud to say my personal satisfaction comes from being able to sit on this chair, in this office. I manage all the OTs now. There are more responsibilities, more paperwork and administrative work to be done. Work-wise, I feel a sense of satisfaction when I know the patients I look after are doing well after surgery. It brings me so much joy when I get feedback from doctors about patients doing better and who have started eating and walking.

Do you get any form of appreciation from patients, like flowers?

There are. But for me, a simple “thank you” would make my day; no other material form could ever replace that gratitude that you get from someone. I feel that what I have learnt so far has been put to good use and that I have done the right thing for the community and the people who need my help. I'm so happy that I can't explain it.

What is your advice to aspiring nurses?

Firstly, don't follow what other people say or do and don’t learn something because you think there isn’t any other option. This is what leads to problems. It's always better to be in a profession that you feel passionate about, moreso in the medical profession where it is sometimes a matter of life or death.

Secondly, you need passion, honesty and sincerity. Be proud of what you are or will be doing and don't hide your mistakes. I feel dishonesty can never be tolerated. It is important as people lose jobs because of dishonesty.

If you can't afford it, don’t give up. There are a lot of hospitals out there which offer programmes for student nurses. The hospital will sponsor you through your studies and you will be guaranteed job placement. Hospitals provide short courses to further equip yourself, too. For example, we have a course called Post Basic, specialising in OT, which I've taken to further advance my career. This applies to every department in this hospital.

The important thing to remember is your character. Eagerness and trustworthiness are two important traits because you are handling other peoples' lives, not machines.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I dream of sitting in the CEO's office in this hospital one day but until that day comes, becoming a Chief Nursing Officer will do. If I have the opportunity, I would love to be able to further my studies and obtain a Master's degree.

Any final advice for jobseekers?

If you are keen on becoming a nurse, don't stop. This is not a ladies' job. Opportunities are endless; all you need is to believe in yourself.