Born into a family that loves helping others, Mackay Base Hospital paediatric nurse Summit Krishna Shrestha was destined to become a health hero. But being male and Nepalese there are certain stigmas he has had to battle through to get where he is today.
“There is a lot of stigma about male nurses, especially in my country and culture,” he said.
“Some of my friends and even family members laugh and tell me to change career because it’s a ‘female’ job.
“It breaks my heart. When I was studying there were times, I thought of changing my path but once I started working I appreciated working as a nurse more.”
Despite the barriers of being a male nurse Summit has many memorable experiences. One in particular stands out and has helped shaped him into who he is today.
Summit was helping a boy who was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition. At that time, he was going through a rough period in his personal life.
“Before he went home, the patient came to me, hugged me and promised me that he will always keep doing well in managing the medical condition,” Summit said.
“That very moment, a 10-year-old boy taught me to keep moving forward with a positive mindset, no matter what life throws at you.
“It was very inspiring, and it was a turning point for me.”
Taking the ups and downs of being a paediatric nurse in his stride, Summit loves his job and can’t picture doing anything else.
“I don’t think that I will enjoy other jobs as much as I love being a paediatric nurse. I want to take a step in getting rid of the stereotype away,” he said.
“Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, co-workers and parents of paediatric patients for supporting me so that I can enjoy my work despite the cultural stigmas.”
