Profession without passion

Although life is expected to have significant changes as the world evolves with the fast speed of technology, it should not make people lose their passion and care for their profession, says Charlotte Valerie Salandy, clinical instructor/lecturer at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of TT’s (COSTAATT).

In an interview yesterday, Salandy said over the years the nursing fraternity has changed because students from long ago stayed as nurses whether or not they attained higher qualifications, and provided proper care for their patients. Salandy said having had the experience of nursing for the past 50 years, she had the privilege of having to interview students coming into the profession with the wrong attitude. “As a lecturer I have seen that the younger generation refuses to be guided by those who (work) in the fraternity over the years. Nursing in TT has changed and it is not accepted by the younger generation of this era. I can tell you now that when I was trained in 1968, and now that I am teaching students it is a different kettle of fish.

“There is a huge difference in their attitudes in respect to the line of work they would be required to to do. They are not looking at the profession as it should be. Long ago students came into the profession because they cared and were passionate to learn about nursing, despite how qualified they were, but in today’s world it is all about making money.

She said in the past people came into the profession because they wanted to be nurses, but were now looking looking for financial gain.

“The next thing is that they are asking for higher qualifications for nursing.” She said the profession needs people who are passionate about taking care of the sick, not just collecting a salary at the end of the month. because the people they take care of are still people and that will never change. Salandy said there is no togetherness within the profession any more, as most training students prefer to work on their own. “There is no unity among the youths in TT any more and it is also showing within the professions they choose,” she said.