Young, Motivated and Gifted.
What a joy to have shared a cup of coffee with a young, motivated and gifted nurse, Melissa Geels who was nominated by a colleague as being an exceptional nurse. She hales from the town of Klerksdorp in North West Province. It was here in this town that she completed her matric and thought of pursuing a career in administration, however God had other plans for her!
When her sister registered to study medicine, Melissa took a keen interest in the field and during a job shadowing project at the hospital, she fell in love with nursing! Her strong desire to help others and an incident with a family member led her to study the 4 year Nursing Science Degree at Potchefstroom University. On completion of her studies, she spent her community service year at a 24 hour clinic in Hartbeesfontein. She describes this time as extremely challenging but rewarding: she saw the most growth in her life. When asked how she overcame these challenges: “I credit my success to my mother who taught me to stand up for myself and to give my best in everything I do.”
Her relationship with God is evident in how she approaches her everyday life and the challenges that she faces on the frontline. Melissa acknowledges that 2020 was “The Year of the Nurse and Midwife” and 2021 certainly brought a greater respect and appreciation for nurses throughout the world.
When asked what she loved most about her job, she replied: “This might be a cliché but I really love helping people, putting the needs of others first, supporting others, making a difference and working as a team so that the load is lighter and brighter.”
She encourages young people to job shadow a nurse for a day to see if a career in nursing is really what you are wanting to do. Ask your local hospital if you could work a shift or two. Speak to people in the profession and get their input. Try it out!! You might be pleasantly surprised to discover that you have a gift for nursing.
In closing Melissa dreams of South Africa being a place where God’s hand is prominent in everything: less hunger and unemployment. She believes that is starts with leadership: God has to be prominent in all leadership structures and decisions. “We are rich as South Africans, good leadership is essential.”
