From Clinical Nursing to Public Health

It always amazes me whenever I tell my colleagues now that I'm a nurse by profession. I always love seeing their priceless reactions, most especially when I tell them that I was an OB-GYN nurse! (Not sure, though, if they get surprised because it's totally unimaginable or they think I'm not capable at all – in any case, it's funny lol.)

But then what perturbs me is when they ask what am I doing in the development or NGO sector then? This is the inspiration for writing my first 2019 blog post: to demystify (or justify maybe...) that what I'm doing now is still much relevant to my nursing/health degree!

Firstly, like any other professions, nursing has many career paths. This ranges from clinical, education, research, management, informatics, to my current field, public health. And public health is very much integral to the development field. Weirdly, I always wanted to study medicine after my nursing degree to become a neurosurgeon. So how did I end up in public health?

I decided to take a one-year break before I study medicine (err...mainly because I consciously missed applying in the Uni that my mum wants me to go lol!). In that time, I did practice clinical nursing in Fabella Hospital aka the 'baby factory' of the Philippines. It is the National Maternity Hospital in the country so you'd expect that it caters mostly to families in the lower socioeconomic class. There I see how poor women are so disempowered to make decisions on their own and for themselves. This leads them to having teenage pregnancies, and having an average of 7 to 9* babies before reaching the age of 30! (*not official, just my rough estimate)

During my rounds, I always conduct health teaching to my patients to ensure that they know their health condition, their rights as a woman, and where to access reproductive health services without needing their husband's consent. I enjoyed doing this every single day for months because I felt that I was empowering them with the information they need to make decisions for their own health and body. Until I saw the same patient that I had 9 to 10 months ago, admitted in the same hospital with another baby.

It left me totally flabbergasted; that all this time, what I thought was helping them was, in fact, not enough. That's when I realised that I need to do something bigger, wider, and deeper to change the unfavourable health systems and policies, and to break the cycle of poverty and disempowerment amongst Filipino women in particular. And public health was the answer.

So yeah, after a year, I decided not to pursue medicine anymore! I shifted my career to public health and have stayed in the field until now (and forever!). It was the rightest (is this even a word?!) decision I've made in my life. I'm now in a place where I truly belong, and where I feel happiest and most fulfilled professionally and personally.

I know some friends who have also shifted careers to various fields, and they quite feel the same. Well as they say, we all have our own calling. So don't be afraid to be bold to explore and swim against the current!

Now, as to what exactly I do, i.e. Monitoring and Evaluation, that will be the topic of my next post! See you! :)

Abrazos, Miguel