Nurses: expertise and a big heart

Not merely a job, but a mission

We invite you to read a short conversation with Majda Peršin, a registered nurse with special skills, who works at ZDL in the Specialist Outpatient Clinic for Cardiovascular Diseases. Her words prove that this profession is indeed a mission, carried out by those who want to work for the good of others.

How did you decide to become a nurse?

I felt that I wanted to work with people even before I started primary school. Whenever we played with children in our village, I was always the teacher. And so, I chose a program to become a teacher. But, since my belives were not in terms with the political system of the time, I had to change my studies after my first year and I enrolled to medical school. It was a comfort to know that I could do a lot of good in this profession too. Today, I have no regrets. I have chosen a wonderful profession.

What do you see as the beauty of this profession?

The wonderful feeling that people need you. That they allow you to enter their world. Not just the world of the illness they are facing, but above all into their life stories. It is priceless when they open their hearts, when they share with you something that is precious to them. These can be very happy and sometimes very hard stuff. A hug from a child after a check-up, a song they sing to you, a smile from a parent, tears of happiness…

How do you experience the people who come to the clinic?

I always take people as ones in need. Even if their health problem seems insignificant to me, it is a great concern and problem for them. A lot of empathy is needed for each patient. At my job, I often ask myself what it would be like if my loved ones were on the other side. Especially in the on-call service, I often meet people who have come there out of desperation, out of mental anguish, out of fear of tomorrow’s school test….

How do you see the nurse’s place in the healthcare system?

Our place has “strengthened” throughout history, gaining in reputation. The educational system has become more and more extensive and richer. The definition says that we nurses are an equal member of the healthcare team….experts in our field. It is true. But we can’t do it without a big heart. The relationships we enter as nurses need heart and expertise. A big heart and a lot of knowledge. I often experience that patients come up to me after a clinical examination and want further explanation.

I am delighted that the recent Valicon’s survey Ogledalo Slovenije *¹ showed that nurses are the third most trusted profession!

From the invisible to the invaluable

According to Dr Pamela Cipriano, ICN President also this year’s World Nurses Day theme “Our Nurses. Our future.” aims to change the way we see nurses’ work from invisible to invaluable*².  And we believe it really is invaluable.

*¹Valicon Ogledalo Slovenije – Pomlad 2023. (13.4.2023). Valicon. https://www.valicon.net/sl/2023/04/valicon-ogledalo-slovenije-pomlad-2023/

*² Devereux, Bella. (16.1.2023). International Nurses Day 2023 to focus on ‘future of nursing’.Nursing times. https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/global-nursing/international-nurses-day-2023-to-focus-on-future-of-nursing-16-01-2023/