THE Hninzigone Home for the Aged in Yangon’s Bahan township opened its first nursing course for elderly care last month, attracting 15 students from Yangon and beyond.

Major Kyaw Shein (Retired), the president of the home, said at the opening ceremony that compassion was the key in taking care of the elderly to ensure that they can spend the rest of their lives in serenity.

“It’s hard to take care of the sick and elderly if you lack sympathy. People who take care of the elderly should be healthy, patient and sympathetic if they want to do their job,” he said.

He said the six-month course would provide basic knowledge about nursing for students who planned to earn their living caring for the elderly.

The course, taught by experienced doctors and nurses, meets weekdays from 7am to 11am for practical training, and 1pm to 4pm for theoretical instruction.

One of the instructors, nurse Daw War War Myint who works at the home’s hospital, agreed that the nursing profession required sympathy and empathy.
“Nursing is a very noble profession and it is even more of a blessing if someone devotes his or her life to the job,” she said.

She added that at least one person in every family should know basic nursing and first aid in the event of an emergency.

Daw War War Myint, who has 26 years of experience as a nurse, said the course covers four main subjects – anatomy, microbiology, fundamentals of nursing, and pharmacology – as well as the ethics of nursing.

“Sometimes it can hard to wait on patients, dressing wounds or bathing the elderly. One can easily become disgusted or impatient. I will teach students how to deal with these situations,” she said.

Ma Chaw Ei Phyu, a student from Patheingyi township in Ayeyarwady Division, said she was very happy to be attending the course offered by the home.

“I’ve been interested in nursing since I was small. I have some experiences but I want to learn systematically, and I will use this knowledge in the future,” she said.