The Tale of Novrin: Nurturing Promise and Fighting for Dream

Journalist : Khusnul Khotimah, Photographer : Khusnul Khotimah

As a nurse educator, Novrin (right) guided new nurses or student interns to perform their duties well and in accordance to the hospital’s humanistic culture

When accompanying her father to the hospital due to hypertension, Novrin, who was then still in high school, had an unpleasant experience. The medical team there was indifferent and unresponsive.

“Why are they like that?” Novrin wondered, as healthcare professionals are supposed to care for patients. Since then, she aspired to be a friendly doctor or nurse to the patients. She was determined to seek scholarship to make her dream come true.

“I knew my parents had an income, but studying in university is not affordable. I didn’t want them to go into debt to send us to school,” said Novrin, who was the eldest of five siblings. Her mother was a teacher while her father worked at the district office.

After graduating high school, Novrin who hails from Nias Regency, North Sumatra decided to try her luck by moving to Jakarta while seeking for a scholarship. She stayed with her relatives in North Jakarta.

Novrin’s determination to obtain scholarship finally paid off. She happened to have a friend studying at Sint Carolus College of Health Sciences Jakarta and she inquired about available scholarships. While her friend was unsure, she knew someone who had received a Tzu Chi scholarship. Then, Novrin was introduced to that friend, who then accompanied her to apply for a scholarship at Tzu Chi Center in PIK.

“You are actually late; the scholarship application was open from January to April. It is already August,” said Ria Sulaiman, a Tzu Chi volunteer and staff member handling scholarships, at that time.

“Shigu*, could you help me so that I can get the scholarship?” Novrin hoped earnestly.

“Alright, give it a try. Others are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. You must promise me that you will strive for more than that since you’re applying late,” said ria.

“What’s the minimum requirement Shigu?” Novrin asked, not fully understanding what a GPA was at that time.

“Alright, let’s set it at 3.3.”

Several days later, Novrin was interviewed at Tzu Chi Cinta Kasih Hospital at Cengkareng. She passed and was able to attend Sint Carolus College of Health Sciences. Her cumulative GPA from the 1^st semester to 8^th semester was an impressive 3.93.

“I was given an opportunity so it is only right for me not to waste it. Since I was given the scholarship, it is only right for me to study diligently,” said Novrin.

“After her bachelor’s degree, Novrin continued her education in nursing for a year and completed it in October 2020. While waiting for her nursing registration certificate, she interned at Tzu Chi Cinta Kasih Hospital. Come March 2021, she was assigned at Tzu Chi Hospital in PIK. Besides working as an inpatient nurse, Novrin often took responsibility in many activities at Tzu Chi Hospital.

Her diligence and good work ethics made her scouted as a Nurse Educator. This role has been established since August 2023. Currently, Tzu Chi Hospital has seven Nurse Educator. “Why do we need Nurse Educator? It is so that when new colleagues or nurses come in, they have someone to teach, guide, and mentor them,” she explained.

Humanistic Culture Training

Novrin emphasized that at Tzu Chi we were taught that the one who gives is also the one who should feel grateful since without those who need help, we would not have a field of blessings.

Doctor Suryanto, the Medical Director of Tzu Chi Hospital, also served as a speaker in the humanistic culture training.

Since May 2024, the Nursing Education and Training Department at Tzu Chi Hospital has been routinely holding humanistic culture trainings for employees at Tzu Chi Hospital. These trainings were held on Thursdays and were attended by various teams such as, pharmacy, nutrition, medical records, and also radiology lab staffs. Thursday, 25 July 2024, Novrin was one of the main speakers, teaching about the standards of behavior for Tzu Chi Hospital employees.

“When we meet people, no matter who, we need to great them with a smile. We hope that people will see us as someone who is ready to help them. Whether it’s with patients, colleagues, supervisors, or anyone else, when we apply the principle of giving our best, showing appreciation, and maintaining a warm attitude, everyone will feel being cared for and more comfortable,” said Novrin whose full name was Novrin Senselia Putri Ziliwu.

Novrin also shared her recent experience. “Right before heading home during a shift change, she and her team took the time to visit patients’ room to check on them. “Suddenly a patient told me, ‘I feel very grateful; Tzu Chi is truly different.’ Being curious, I asked what made Tzu Chi different? ‘The love and care here are really apparent.’ It turns out the compassion we show are felt by the patients. So, if I know the concept of compassion but is not able to make people others feel it. It's of no use. What’s expected is that for me to understand the concept and for others to feel it,” she said.

“Without Tzu Chi scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to be here. This means that I am really fortunate,” said Novrin.

Meanwhile, due to her competence at work, Novrin has once again received a scholarship from Tzu Chi to continue her master’s degree in Nursing at the University of Indonesia.

“As Master Cheng Yen has told before, there are a lot of good connections. I feel that during my time at Tzu Chi I have met many kind people. I am very grateful to Tzu Chi for guiding me and facilitating my career to this point,” she said expressing her gratitude.

3 years has gone by quickly since Novrin started working at Tzu Chi Hospital. Just as she promised when she accompanied her late father for treatment, she has become a nurse who treats patients with great compassion. She was grateful to work at Tzu Chi Hospital, where patients are treated like family.

Translator: Putri Millenia Hadinata (Tzu Chi Palembang)

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