Paying tribute to Florence Nightingales

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: "Once a nurse, forever a nurse". This has been the guiding principle of retired matron Zubaidah Mohd Said, throughout her 33-year nursing career.
Today, at the golden age of 70 and walking with some difficulty, she is still a picture of calmness and inspiration as she received an award in the service category in conjunction with the International Nurses Day 2007 yesterday.
Zubaidah’s illustrious career began in 1960 when she was a staff nurse at the General Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
She rose through the ranks to become a nursing sister and worked in district hospitals in Klang and Taiping before her posting to the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital.
Prior to her retirement in 1989, she was the assistant principal matron of the nursing division in the Ministry of Health.
Instead of enjoying a quiet retirement, she served as a consultant under Perunding Alam Bina for the Malacca Hospital for three years before becoming the director of nursing at the Subang Medical Centre until 1994.
To Zubaidah, the award was the best birthday present as she turns 71, in August.
"It is also the best present for Mothers Day and, of course, International Nurses Day," she said.
She reminded nurses not to be too absorbed in technology to the extent that they lose the human touch.
Lee Siew Hoon, 72, meanwhile, is a shining example of the importance of lifelong learning.
The winner in the education category stressed that nurses needed to be innovative to progress in their careers.
"They should not remain static. At the age of 67, I decided to pursue my Master’s in Public Health and graduated in 2002."
Lee, who is now the deputy chairman of the Malaysian Nursing Foundation, had initiated the formation of the Malaysian Nurses Association.
She had also served as the secretary and vice-president of the association in the past.
This sprightly Florence Nightingale is still involved in research in the nursing field through the Malaysian Nursing Foundation.
The third award recipient was 59-year-old matron Mariam Madhar Ali who was recognised for her outstanding service to the community.
She is a counsellor at shelters for abused women and children in Negri Sembilan.
"My greatest satisfaction was when I was working in the rural and remote areas in the ’70s and ’80s. The women were reluctant to go to the hospitals to deliver their babies.
"When we managed to get them to the hospitals and delivered their babies safely, it was immensely satisfying."
She does not recall any unhappy moments in her career.
"I wanted to do my job well as a nurse and that in itself was satisfying."
Mariam also paid tribute to her husband Abdul Razak Yaacob, a retired human resource manager, whom she said had always supported her where her career was concerned.
"When I had to work in the remote areas, he took care of the kids and this would go on for days.
"He also encouraged me to improve myself and because of him I furthered my studies," she said.