Nurse fulfills childhood dream of becoming a lecturer
Rashidah initially believed that she would remain a nurse until retirement, unaware that pursuing higher academic qualifications could open new opportunities for career advancement in the field.
KUALA LUMPUR - When Rashidah Mohd Yusoff first put on a nurse’s uniform after obtaining her nursing diploma in 2009, she never imagined that one day she would be standing in front of a classroom, teaching future nurses and healthcare professionals.
However, through her dedication and determination to further her studies, this 35-year-old mother of two now has a PhD in nursing and has taken on the responsibility of training student nurses. Rashidah is currently a lecturer at the Kulliyyah of Nursing at the International Islamic University Malaysia’s Kuantan campus, Pahang.
Rashidah initially believed that she would remain a nurse until retirement, unaware that pursuing higher academic qualifications could open new opportunities for career advancement in the field.
However, a turning point occurred when she enrolled in a post-basic orthopaedic nursing course in 2017.
"One of my tutors then was Norliza Kadir, who was then pursuing a master’s degree in orthopaedic nursing. That was when I first learned that there are master's and even PhD programmes in nursing," she said.
"Actually while growing up, I never thought of becoming a nurse... like other children, my childhood ambition was to be a doctor, lawyer or lecturer. So when I found out about the master’s and PhD courses for nurses, I saw the opportunity to revive my dream of becoming a lecturer.”
Recalling how she got into nursing, Rashidah said after completing matriculation she received an offer to study at Universiti Malaysia Sabah but declined it due to financial constraints as her family was not well-off.
To help her family, Rashidah opted for a three-year diploma course in nursing at Kolej Damansara Utama in Selangor as she was assured of a job after her studies. Not only that, she also received an allowance while completing the course.
After obtaining her diploma in 2009, she worked as a nurse at various hospitals including Hospital Sultan Ahmad Shah in Temerloh and Hospital Bera in Triang, both in Pahang.
In 2017, she enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing course at Universiti Teknologi MARA, and later in 2020, she pursued her PhD studies through a fast-track programme.
Rashidah said her thesis for her PhD focused on hip fractures among the elderly, adding that now she is also actively involved in research, and writing and publishing articles. - BERNAMA
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