keep calm & curry on!

Jacob Wain looks at nursing from an unusual perspective

Recipe overview: Nursing: sometimes cool, sometimes spicy, but whatever the flavour, God is in your kitchen!

Ingredients: ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ (Joshua 1:9)

Method:

Step 1: Reflecting on the ‘flavour’ of nursing, I think there would be no more flavoursome comparison than a tasty curry! Any good curry has four main components: rice, vegetables, meat, and sauce.

Firstly, rice, a staple carbohydrate for energy. But one that is sometimes flavourless and bland. As a student nurse, I know that there are tasks that can seem bland, such as making beds, taking observations, and nurse rounding. As rice is bland but its energy sustains us, so, though these tasks seem bland, they sustain the ward and help us to spot deterioration. If your practice is feeling slightly bland right now, remember Joshua 1:9, ‘do not be discouraged.’

Step 2: The second part of a good curry is the vegetables, which are there to make the curry healthier. Student nurses have a lot of experience with medication; the purpose is to cure illnesses and make patients healthier. Now, each curry has specific vegetables for a specific recipe. Each patient needs specific medicine to aid their individual conditions. Following the five ‘rights’ of medication is crucially important; right patient, medicine, route, time, and dose. ¹ If, in practice, you’re rightly feeling the weight of responsibility in administering medication, then remember Joshua 1:9 and ‘do not be afraid’.

Step 3: Thirdly, meat is central, one of the most important parts of a curry. The central part of a student nursing shift is often achieving proficiencies. Some are thankfully easily accomplished, whereas others (like gristly meat) take a long time and a lot of work to get through. So, if your practice is focusing on achieving difficult proficiencies, remember Joshua 1:9 ‘be strong and courageous.’

Step 4: The final part is the curry sauce, giving a distinct taste, from a smooth korma to a burning vindaloo. When ordering in a restaurant, you place an order for exactly what you want. Contrarily, hospital shifts can be like eating a buffet while wearing a blindfold! You don’t know what’s going to happen until it’s already happening. Some shifts are like a cool, calm korma, whereas others can feel overpowering, like a hot spicy vindaloo. Remember that even though you don’t know what is ahead, God does. If your practice feels unpredictable or even overwhelming, remember Joshua 1:9, ‘the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!’

Jacob Wain is a student nurse at Oxford Brookes University