Stationed on the Angolan border, watching a fellow soldier succumb to his wounds, Alan Stroud vowed to do everything he could do to equip himself with the necessary knowledge to become able to save lives.
Currently serving as the trauma unit manager at the Netcare Linmed Hospital, Alan has been a specialised trauma sister (mister) for the past 40 years.
In celebration of International Nurses Day, celebrated on May 12, the City Times met up with him to talk about the triumphs and challenges he has faced.
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After completing high school, Alan joined the SAPS and was later called up as an active soldier in the Angolan war.
During this time he felt helpless not being able to help injured servicemen.
Upon his return, Alan knew that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, but was unable to study medicine due to his matric results not meeting the required criteria.
“I wanted to help immediately, so I decided to study nursing, specialising in trauma,” Alan said.
“I was young and passionate but, the stigma about nursing being a predominantly female field did not bother me. I was helping.”
With the onset of Covid-19, the world of medicine and all its medical professionals faced one of the most indiscriminate challenges.
While hospitals filled to maximum capacity, nursing staff scrambled to assist patients, fighting a virus the world had very little knowledge of.
“I contracted Covid during the first wave and was certain that I was going to die,” said Alan.
“I made sure all my affairs were in order and said my goodbyes to my wife, family and loved ones.
“Well, imagine my surprise when I woke up the following morning and started to recover.”
Emotionally, Alan recalls how the pandemic has taken a huge toll on all nursing staff. He explains the staff went into automated survival mode to keep up with the demand of care needed and the influx of patients,
“Medical professionals are emotionally drained, and many are suffering from post-traumatic stress. We all needed to re-evaluate our reasons for doing what we do,” he said.
“Our approach to our patients has become different and with many of us having battled the disease ourselves, we know exactly what fears our patients have.”
When considering becoming a nurse, Alan says candidates must closely assess their reasons for their career choice.
“Being a nurse is a calling, not a job that will pay the bills,” he said.
“It is a commitment to act selflessly to assist your patients and become emotionally invested in their care.”
At the end of June, Alan will be hanging up his scrubs to enjoy his retirement after four decades of service in the medical field.
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