Nursing a good course for male too !

People think of nurses as female and doctors as male” says Abednego

He always wanted to be a doctor, but an illness during high school changed that. While Abednego was in hos­pital, he was quite impressed by the nursing and this is what made him take up the profession. The 27-year-old from Kanyakumari went on to do his B.Sc. (Nursing) from the PSG College of Nursing, Coimbatore. Though the girls outnumbered the boys at col­lege, this did not deter Abed (as he is popularly called) from pursuing his passion.

After finishing his B.Sc, Abed went on to work as a lecturer at a medical college in Nepal. A year later he was back lecturing at the College of Nursing in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh and subse­quently in Gwalior.

But the urge to experience nursing first hand was so strong that abed shifted to Max Healthcare a year ago. Having joined the hospital as Staff Nurse Abed has to­day risen to the post of Nurse in-charge at the Patparganj branch of the Max chain of hospitals. His fu­ture plans include finishing his MBA in Hospital Administration from Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu and then doing an M.Sc. in Nurs­ing. Abed eventually wants to shift into the administra­tive side of things and try his luck abroad.

So, how difficult was it to go into a profession that is really regarded as a woman's domain? Says Abed, "My family used to laugh at me when I told them I wanted to take up nursing. They were convinced that I would soon quit. Today, see­ing my dedication and the way I have risen in the field, they respect my profession as they would if it was any other. My patients often mis­take me for a doctor! It is the mindset — people think of nurses as female and doc­tors as male."

Any tips for men who want to be nurses? Says Abed, "Men aspiring to be nurses should have the right attitude and not only want to earn, but serve as well. The most important thing is compassion. Apart from this you must have a placid tem­perament. These qualities will enable you to grow in the profession." And Abed­nego is testimony to this!

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