29/08/2026
The first day I was posted in the labour ward as a student nurse, I carried movie pictures in my head. You know those scenes in African magic movies where the woman gently pushes, the doctor smiles, and within minutes, a clean baby appears, crying softly? My dear, reality humbled me that day.
The moment I entered, the atmosphere was thick. A woman was drenched in sweat, her voice tearing through the room: “I can’t push again, I am tired” Her face was a mixture of pain, fear, and exhaustion.
Before I could even process, the midwife’s firm voice cut through the air: “Madam, if you don’t push, your baby will be stuck in the cervix. Do you want to invite birth asphyxia?”
I just froze. My hands were shaking as I held the kidney dish. I wanted to disappear. My legs were weak, my heart was racing, and for the first time, I really imagine what my mum had gone through to bring me to this life...I swore never to ever disobey mothers no matter what.
Then suddenly,the baby’s cry pierced the room. Loud. Sharp. Alive. I felt shivers run through me, goosebumps rising everywhere. At that moment, something shifted inside me. The fear melted into awe. I understood why we endure sleepless nights, thick textbooks, endless postings, and strict supervisors. Because to stand at the doorway between life and death, and to witness a new soul enter the worldthat is nursing at its purest,yes that feeling is priceless.
As a student nurse, don’t run from the ward, no matter how scary it looks. That’s where you will discover the real heartbeat of this profession.
