Essence of Nursing

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines — Every year, thousands of nursing graduates take the Nursing Licensure Exam with the hope of getting a ticket to greener pastures. But Nursing Board topnotcher Aira Therese Salamanca Javier believes that taking nursing for the sake of going abroad should not be the primary motivation. “When you decide to become a nurse, you have to have passion to serve and to care. The essence of nursing is to care for the people,” Javier said. Despite topping the exam with an average rating of 86 percent, Javier found the exam difficult, which she said focused on the practical aspect of nursing and attributed her success to having a good school. Thus, she gives this advice to those who want to take up a nursing: “You have to choose a good school. It doesn’t mean that studying in a nursing school would guarantee that you would get good education,” Javier said. Javier also related that aside from caring for people, honesty and integrity should be values inculcated by the nursing industry in the Philippines. When asked about the leakage which happened during the 2006 Nursing Board Licensure Exam, Javier pointed out that “truth, justice, and integrity should still prevail.” “We deal with life so we can’t afford to risk anything. The people’s lives are at stake,” she said. Currently, Javier, is an assistant to clinical instructors in the College of Nursing at the University of the Sto. Tomas. “It’s one way of giving back to what the university has given me,” Javier said. As of the moment, Javier said she was planning to work and gain experience in the Philippines by serving her countrymen, but is not closing the idea of going abroad for personal growth as a nurse.