Sister Agnes and Sister Laeticia tell us about the nobility of this service, which they both carry out in the spirit of Saint Giovanna Antida and following the example of Saint Agostina Pietrantoni, patron saint of nurses, on the island of Borneo.
Sister Agnes works at St. Antonius Hospital in the Archdiocese of Pontianak, and this is her experience:
“Nurse? Doctor’s assistant???? Oh no… Nurses are colleagues of doctors and other healthcare professionals. In emergency situations, such as in the case of nurses living in remote areas, they can even replace doctors. They are able to act as doctors, pharmacists, midwives, nutritionists, and physical therapists. Nurses are trained to know everything.
I am proud to be a nurse. The work of a nurse is truly noble: trying to save lives if it is in line with God’s plan and will.
There are many beautiful things about being a nurse, such as when you care for patients and they can return home in good health, to their families, who feel helped.
However, one unpleasant thing is when doctors continue to view nurses as their assistants. They feel superior. In reality, it is nurses who care for patients 24 hours a day, not doctors and other healthcare staff.
Once, a patient looked at a nurse with contempt and mocked her while she was assessing his condition. He said, “I don’t need a nurse, I want a doctor.” I reassured him calmly, “It’s okay, we won’t do anything to this patient because only a doctor can do that.” But before leaving the room, I turned to the patient’s mother and asked, “Ma’am, may I ask you a question? Who put the IV in the emergency room? And who pushed the patient to the room?” She replied, “The nurse.” “Excuse me again, who washed the patient, who gave him the injection?” She replied, “The nurse.” “Then tell me, when does the doctor come to see the patient?” She blushed and replied, “Once a day,” lowering her head. Then I got up and left, to give her time to reflect on the fact that the nurse visits patients several times a day.
Shortly afterwards, she returned and said to me: “Sister, can I talk to you for a moment? Before you leave, can you pray for my parents? They asked me to pray for them…” So, at the end of my shift, I returned to that room and prayed with the patient. Suddenly, the son began to cry and apologized for looking down on the nurses’ work. I told him I forgave him. And I felt relieved and happy. This was my unique experience during my work as a nurse. And I am very proud to be a nurse because I take care of people’s lives. This is my experience.”
Sister Agnes, St. Antonius Hospital, Archdiocese of Pontianak
International Nurses Day 2025
Sister Laeticia works in our dispensary in Temanang, the village where the first five Missionary Sisters of Charity arrived in Indonesia in 1980. This is her experience:
“I am Sister Laeticia. I participate in the spiritual life and charism of the foundress, Saint Jeanne Antide, in service, particularly in the field of health. My service as a nurse leads me to give myself more and more in love to serve the sick every day, which is obviously not easy.
I find myself faced with people who are not only physically ill, but also afflicted by difficulties and complex problems in their daily lives. However, the spirit of the foundress and the example of the life of Saint Agustin, who served the sick with an extraordinary gift of self, impel me to commit myself totally to service and love for people who need a warm greeting, care, and medicine. They also need to be listened to, comforted, and prayed with and for.
In this service, I too experience the presence of God through the sick people I have met, and this strengthens me in my faith and in the joy of living my vocation.
Sister Laeticia, Temanang Dispensary
International Nurses Day 2025
