Abongikazi—Kutheni Beyimfuneko?
“Ukuba ngumongikazi kungomnye weyona misebenzi inzima. Umntu usenokuba uqhutywe yimfesane, kodwa thina sisebenza ngolwazi.”—UMary Adelaide Nutting, 1925, umongikazi wokuqala ongunjingalwazi ehlabathini.
NGOKULULA nje, ukonga kwaqala kumawakawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo—kwanakumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. (1 Kumkani 1:2-4) Ukutyhubela imbali, amabhinqa amaninzi azimiseleyo aye onga abantu abagulayo. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngoElizabeth waseHungary (1207-31), owayeyintombi kaKumkani Andrew II. Wenza ilungiselelo lokuba kusasazwe ukutya ebudeni bendlala yowe-1226. Emva koko, walungiselela ukwakhiwa kwezibhedlele, yaye apho wayenyamekela abantu abaneqhenqa. UElizabeth wafa eneminyaka nje engama-24 ubudala, echithe inxalenye enkulu yobomi bakhe obufutshane enyamekela abagulayo.
Asinakumlibala uFlorence Nightingale xa sithetha ngembali yokonga. Likunye nabongikazi abangama-38, eli nenekazi liliNgesi lingoyiki ngokoyikiswa laphinda lalungelelanisa isibhedlele somkhosi eScutari, elihlomela-dolophu leConstantinople, ebudeni beMfazwe yaseCrimea yowe-1853-56. Ukufika kwalo apho, abantu babesifa malunga nama-60 ekhulwini; kanti ukumka kwalo ngowe-1856, lo mlinganiselo wawungaphantsi kwe-2 ekhulwini—Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 22.
Enye into eyakuphembelela ngamandla ukonga yayiyi-Institution of Protestant Deaconesses yaseKaiserswerth, eJamani, leyo uNightingale wayekuyo ngaphambi kokuba aye eCrimea. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, kwavela amanye amaqela abongikazi azimiseleyo. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1903, uAgnes Karll waseka iProfessional Organization for German Nurses.
Namhlanje, abongikazi babumba elona qela likhulu leengcali ezinyamekela impilo yethu. IWorld Health Organization inikela ingxelo yokuba kungokunje kukho abongikazi abangaphezu kwe-9 000 000 nabazalisikazi abasebenza kumazwe ali-141. Yaye onjani ukubaluleka umsebenzi abawenzayo! IThe Atlantic Monthly ithi abongikazi “badibanisa inyameko, ulwazi nokuthenjwa, zinto ezo ezibaluleke kakhulu ukuze umguli aphile.” Ngenxa yoko, ngokuphathelele abongikazi sinokubuza lo mbuzo, Besiya kuba ngabakabani ukuba bebengekho?
Indima Yomongikazi Ekuchacheni
Enye intyilalwazi ichaza ukonga “njengenkqubo apho umguli encedwa ngumongikazi ukuba achache kwisigulo okanye ukwenzakala okuthile, okanye aphinde afumane inkululeko engakumbi.”
Kambe ke, ininzi into ebandakanyekileyo kule nkqubo. Ingaphezulu kokwenziwa nje kovavanyo oluqhelekileyo, njengokukhangela ukubetha kwentliziyo noxinezeleko lwegazi. Umongikazi unendima ebalulekileyo ekuchacheni komguli. Ngokutsho kweThe American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, “eyona nto ixhalatyelwa ngumongikazi kukuba umguli uchatshazelwa njani sesi sigulo kunokuxhalabela isigulo eso, yaye uzinikele ekuthomalaliseni iintlungu, ekuncedeni umguli angakhathazeki ngokugqithiseleyo, nasekuthinteleni naziphi na iingxaki zempilo zequbuliso ezisenokuvela.” Ukongezelela, umongikazi uba “ngoqondayo, nto leyo ebandakanya ukuphulaphula ngomonde kwizinto ezibaxhalabisayo nabazoyikayo aze abaxhase ngokweemvakalelo aze abathuthuzele.” Yaye lo mthombo uthi, xa umguli esiya ngasekufeni, indima yomongikazi “kukunceda umguli ahlangabezane nokufa ngaphandle kokuzixhalabisa kakhulu aze azole kangangoko kunokwenzeka.”
Abongikazi abaninzi bathi kratya kumsebenzi wabo. Ngokomzekelo, uEllen D. Baer wabhala ngamava akhe aseMontefiore Medical Center kwisiXeko saseNew York. Wayengafuni ukuba yena neqela awayesebenza nalo kutyando bawuleqe umsebenzi wabo wakusasa. Ubhala athi: “Ndandifuna ukuhlala nabaguli. Ndandifuna ukubanceda kwindlela abaphefumla ngayo, ndibancedise ekuhambeni, ndibabophe, ndiphendule imibuzo yabo, ndibacacisele izinto ezithile, ndize ndibathuthuzele. Ndandikuthanda gqitha ukunxibelelana nabaguli.”
Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo nabani na owakha waba ngumguli esibhedlele usamkhumbula umongikazi owayenovelwano nomoya ofanayo wokuzincama. Kodwa yintoni efunekayo ukuze umongikazi abe ulichule?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]
UFlorence Nightingale
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy National Library of Medicine