Muhamad Asyraf bin Muhtar, an alumnus of the IMU Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) programme, cohort NU1/10 is currently working as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. He shares his journey here: “Adjusting to life after university can be very stressful to many, but it is yet another step on the ladder of life. Having said that, I had good memories of adapting to my new life after graduating from IMU. It was late December 2013 when I had my interview in Gleneagles Penang. I had to go through some written test before I proceed with the face to face interview with Director of Nursing. Surprisingly, the interview phase was the easy part for me. Perhaps my training in IMU prepared me for this moment. I was then informed a week later that I passed the interview and need to report for work early January. 5 January 2014 was the date that I will forever remember. I was there in HR, together with other new staff ready for our orientation. I was then informed that I will be placed in High Dependency Unit (HDU) which is a step-down of ICU and was brought straight by the HR officer to the said department. I always thought that I came to my first day of job well prepared, but then I realised, there is so much more to learn. Although I was initially overwhelmed with the cardiac monitors and all these “gadgets” used in this department, with cases ranging from major operating cases to rare diseases such as Steven Johnson Syndrome and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, I managed to gain my confidence. It was challenging, as I am no longer a student but a registered nurse hence, I need to take up the challenge and manage the cases under my care. I am thankful for the exposure and experience that I gained during clinical attachments at both public and private hospitals settings during my training in IMU. Coming from IMU, where we are trained to be independent, self-directed and always reflect on our practices, I managed to go through it. Learning curve is slow for me, but I can proudly say that I am now a certified ACLS practitioner. After three years of working, I had strong feeling that it was time for me to go. Saying goodbye was hard, as I learned a lot during my time in Gleneagles Penang.”
| Where am I working now? |
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| While writing this, I am currently working as staff nurse in Najran Armed Forces Hospital, Saudi Arabia where we provide medical and healthcare support for the Saudi’s Armed Forces and their dependents. It is interesting, really, where the most common cases include gunshot wound and splinters due to bombings. It is a learning process all over again, but with experience beforehand, I am more ready this time. |
“Throughout my years as a struggling student nurse to a staff nurse, I regret nothing. It was a great experience and I am very thankful to IMU and their amazing lecturers for equip me with enough training for me to face the challenges ahead of me in my career as a nurse.”
Written by Dr Lim Swee Geok
