Nursing cannot tolerate arrogance
The culture of lawlessness is prevalent in our national hospitals.
The nursing profession demands humility and respect towards others. In a recent interview with former American Football star Shanon Sharpe, Katt Williams, a renowned stand-up comedian, stated, “To be confident and not delusional is a real skill”.
This statement appears to be lacking in Vanesa Ogema, who displayed a combination of arrogance and self-importance when she harassed nurses at a hospital in Budalangi.
She is seen in the video posing as a nurse herself and goes ahead to push the nurse on duty around and call her a few inebriated profanities.
To her credit, the nurse on duty maintains her composure and does not engage in a verbal altercation. Vanesa is currently undergoing due process at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations due to her blatantly egregious behavior.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, as nurses in health centres are frequently subjected to abuse by members of the public who believe that healthcare workers have no rights and should cater to their every whim as long as they have their MCAs on speed dial.
This culture of lawlessness is prevalent in our national hospitals, where one's connections and status can be used to bypass the standard service delivery process.
While Vanesa's behaviour is condemnable and repulsive, it is reflective of the small-man syndrome that exists in our society.
If one has to resort to name-dropping to receive preferential treatment, then they are afflicted with an unnatural form of inferiority complex. True humility lies in how we treat those who we perceive to be inferior to us or have fewer connections than we do.
This is what nursing is all about: A profession that thrives on empathy, a quality that Vanesa sorely lacks and, unfortunately, some of our leaders do too.
As students and parents consider which courses to pursue in college and university after the just released KCSE results, it is paramount that they adopt a mindset of humility and empathy if nursing is their chosen profession.
Nursing in Kenya has been plagued by a negative image for a long time, but it is now taking a stand and asserting its rightful place as a profession that demands respect and dignity.
Ms Maina is a nurse. [email protected]
