International Nurses Day 12th May

By Praghosa dasa

International Nurses day is today, the 12th May. Nurses’ Day is a chance to
celebrate what nurses do, as well as an opportunity to say thank you to their
service in our society. International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world
every year on the12th of May, which is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. Nursing staff working through the pandemic have shattered the stereotypes of nursing. The world has seen first-hand the fundamental role nursing plays and we have certainly see that in our ISKCON society the roles our ISKCON nurses have taken with utmost dignity.

In the holy texts we get a glimpse of Gopal’s nurses.

Their specific duties can be understood from a statement by Mother Yasoda, who said, “Bakula, please cleanse the yellowish dress of Kṛṣṇa. Varida, you
just flavor the bathing water with aguru scent. And Rasala, you just prepare
the betel nuts. You can all see that Kṛṣṇa is approaching. There is dust overhead, and the cows can be seen very distinctly.” [NoD 36]

This description gives us an understanding that the nursing profession is one
of the oldest and dates back to the birth of Lord Krsna and as we know the nurse is one of our seven mothers.

To celebrate nurses day we at Dandavats asked our nurses from BMA (Bhaktivedanta Medical Association) why they became a nurse? Here are their
answers:

Sonitra Sue Singh ( Sukanti Radha devi dasi)

Intensive Care Nurse / Nurse Educator / Author

“My main source of inspiration to become a nurse comes from an innate desire to help people and care for them in times of need. My desire is to help my
patients to understand that their illness is not an illness but a journey to
self realisation. My desire is to help my colleagues understand that nursing is
not a job but a journey to self realisation. Lord Krsna’s mission is to free us
from pain and anxiety. As ISKCON nurses it’s our duty to carry on His mission
and ensure that every patient under our care is free from pain and anxiety.”

Yugesh Wadhwa (Yadurani devi dasi)

School Health/ Public Health

I became a nurse as I had an interest in caring for people and making a difference in their lives. Nursing is so rewarding for me. There is a great deal of
satisfaction felt when I am serving others and helping many to better health.

When I connect with people and help make their life better, healing them emotionally and physically, this makes me feel warm and happy and satisfied. Lord Krishna has given me the skills and abilities to be a nurse. He provides me the knowledge and understanding needed to be a nurse. He arranges for me to relate to people more through nursing. He allows me to pray for others as well as and give them positive healing.

Thank you so much Krishna for allowing me to be a nurse”

Smitha Parameswaran Namboothiri

Interventional Radiology Nurse

Becoming a nurse was almost impossible for me when I was at school, as I was a
child born in the family of temple priests. However, as is recommended by the
Bhagavat Gita, the best way to develop love for something is to hear and think
about it constantly. This is the strategy that brought me into nursing even
though the idea was completely unknown to me. My mother used to tell me stories about the nursing care she received when she was hospitalised for over a year due to a femur fracture and following fat embolism syndrome. She used to make me think how great it is to impart loving care to people during their hard times. And finally I am here, after 10 years of becoming a nurse, thinking about it as a story and looking forward to serve many people, irrespective of what they are and what their background is. Everything is Krishna’s Mercy.”

Ashmita Bauluck

General Practice Nurse

1. Serving those in need gives me real job satisfaction.

2. Caring for others reminds me that Krishna is seated within their hearts.
They are dear to Krishna as well.

3. When I cannot help alleviate patients’ suffering, I feel grateful that I
can at least pray for them.

4. As a nurse, I had the opportunity to connect some patients to Krishna at the
time of their death through prayers or chanting the names of Krishna to them.