Why I Left the Bedside
I began as a clinical nurse—focused, precise, deeply human. In the operating theater and emergency rooms, I learned speed and teamwork. At the One-Stop Crisis Management Center (OCMC), I met survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) whose needs extended far beyond clinical protocols. That was my turning point. I could treat wounds, but systems were leaving people vulnerable. I needed to work upstream.
Seeing Systems, Not Just Symptoms
A system invisibly shapes every patient journey: availability of services, transport, affordability, stigma, policy, and data. When I joined the Nepal Health Sector Support Program (NHSSP-III), I saw how evidence becomes guidelines, how guidelines shape budgets, and how budgets change lives. The scale of impact was undeniable.
What I Carried From Nursing
- Presence under pressure: Public health crises need calm decision-making.
- Triage thinking: Prioritize high-impact interventions with limited resources.
- Human dignity: Metrics mean nothing if people feel unseen.
Where I Work Now
At HERD International, I contribute to projects like Rebuild for Resilience (R4R) and the Nepal Every Newborn Action Plan. I also facilitate Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) processes—turning field data into course corrections.
What Changed in Me
I learned to love slow victories: a revised protocol, a better referral pathway, a village health worker who feels heard. The patient is still at the center—only now my “patient” is the entire system.
For Anyone Considering the Shift
If you’re a clinician drawn to structural change:
- Keep your clinical empathy; it’s your anchor.
- Learn policy language; it opens doors.
- Embrace measurement; feedback loops save time and money.
Closing
I still think like a nurse—only my ward is larger now. I care for the conditions that produce health, not just the symptoms that betray its absence.
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