When I look back at my journey, nursing did not come to me by choice; it came by chance. I was supposed to go for engineering, but God brought me to nursing. From the first day as a student nurse, I felt that I had been called for nursing, not engineering.
I began my career at the bedside, and that shaped everything I became later. I took care of patients who came from roadsides, patients who were brought in very bad condition, and I cared for them as if they belonged to me. The prayers, blessings, and appreciation I received from patients gave me the strength to continue and grow. For me, true nursing empowerment does not mean giving something extraordinary to nurses. It means nurses should be confident, competent, and adaptable. They should be empowered to take decisions related to patient care, especially when a patient’s condition is worsening or when safety is at risk.
An empowered nurse must be able to speak up for safety. If hand hygiene is missed, she should be able to remind even a senior person or doctor to wash their hands. If consent is not properly taken, she should be able to stop the patient from being shifted. If a medication dose or route seems wrong, she should have the confidence to question it. Empowerment means that her voice is respected, not punished.
A culture of safety must come from top to bottom. As leaders, we must create an environment where nurses can report unsafe practices, where whistleblowing is encouraged, and where there is no punitive action for speaking up. Nurses who practice safety in the right direction should be appreciated, even if it is just a pat on the back in front of others. Infection prevention is another area where empowered nurses make a real difference. Whether at the bedside or as infection control nurses, they are the ones who notice early warning signs, follow bundles, present data and help prevent hospital-acquired infections.
Technology is welcome and necessary, especially in sterilization and infection prevention, but nurses must receive adequate and appropriate training to use it effectively. At the same time, healthcare must never lose the human touch.
My message to young nurses is simple: work with your heart. Bedside nurses are angels at the bedside. They protect lives every day, and they should feel proud of the profession they have chosen.
Ms. Gracy Mathai
Group Chief Quality & Governance for the Baby Memorial group of Hospitals
Listen full conversation with Nikunj Goenka & Ms. Gracy Mathai to hear more on nursing empowerment, patient safety, infection prevention and the future of healthcare at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3c46jHwkVQ