‘Angel of Mercy’ Sr Loredana, a Pioneer in Nursing Field Honored by Fr Muller Hospital
‘Angel of Mercy’ Sr Loredana Korah, a Pioneer in Nursing Field Honored by Fr Muller Hospital-Mangaluru on International Nurses Day. And for that matter, for Sister Loredana Korah, NURSING ACT is second to NUN!
Mangaluru: “She Came”…from Kottayam-Kerala, “She Saw”….at Father Muller Hospital-Mangaluru, and “She Conquered”…the Hearts of thousands of patients through Her Loving Care, Dedication and Commitment. And on International Nurses Day, Sr Loredana Korah was honoured in honest and grateful recognition of her selfless contributions towards the intellectual formation of the aspiring nurses at the various Healthcare Institutions, including Father Muller Hospital, in various capacities.
For decades, while most of us are still lying in bed trying to wake up in the morning or as most of us crawl into bed for the night, Sister Loredana after a long day spent in prayers as a religious nun belonging to the Sisters of Charity congregation, makes house visits to care for those in need and also cares for the sick at various hospitals she had worked for, including Father Muller Hospital for decades– as a Dedicated, Caring and Loving Nurse. And Her patients can spot her quickly, because She is one of the Nuns walking the halls in full habit, and also due to her “Short” and “Sweet” personality? There’s no hiding that she is a nun—she wouldn’t want to. Many of her patients have found comfort in it. It looks like both of Sr Loredana’s callings, as a Religious Nun, and as a Caring Nurse, have been rewarding-both give her the chance to bring comfort and make a difference in so many other people’s lives.
The 5 C’s of Caring namely Commitment, Conscience, Competence, Compassion, and Confidence – are highly applicable to the nursing profession- and for that matter Sr Loredana has shown all these qualities in Her during her entire Nursing profession. She has committed herself to work by going above and beyond normally expected behaviors and pledging to uphold strong values. She has delivered the best possible care to patients involving a resilient sense of moral responsibility born of a strong conscience. Moral practices don’t just arise from a strong internal sense of what’s right; they also come from a continued focus on empathy and putting yourself in the patient’s shoes- and Sr Loredana has proved it.
Sr Loredana has demonstrated competence in every workplace she was. Consistently arriving to work on time and presenting herself and holding herself to a high standard of excellence when fulfilling daily tasks, regardless of the behavior of others or the circumstances. Having compassion is essential for anyone in the health care profession as it takes compassion to give patients a positive experience. Compassionate nurses empathize with their patients and provide kind and considerate treatment at all times. In return, they may receive an inspiring sense of human connection and affirmation of the importance of their work- and Sr Loredana has always shown compassion.
Added to all the above, Confidence is the aspect of caring that ties the other 4 of the 5 C’s together. It takes confidence in personal skills and knowledge to act with commitment, follow conscience, consistently act in a competent manner, and express compassion, even in the most difficult of situations. Confidence in experiences, education, and skills will ensure that nurses continually put their best foot forward. A confident nurse can help patients and family members deal with difficult news, and a strong sense of self will invoke positive change in patient care. And Sr Loredana has shown it through her service. This is a Sister Cum Nurse, that every young Nursing student or Nurses should follow in her footsteps and make Sr Loredana as their Role Model.
While reading the citation prior to honoring of Sr Loredana Korah celebration held at Father Muller Hospital on International Nurses Day, Ms Daryyl Aranha -Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at FMMC Hospital said, “Today I feel overjoyed as I am entrusted a very noble task. For many of you here, Sr Loredana is a foreigner but for some of us she is our very own. I am glad to introduce Sr Loredana Korah, the veteran nurse for the International Nurses day 2018 and to read the citation. In a society of so many different races, cultures, customs and beliefs, nurses are a universal gift to all. Being a nurse is one of the most selfless acts a person can undertake. The dedicated work they do and kindness they deliver on a daily basis serves as a reminder of the fundamental spirit of Nightingale. This very spirit of selfless giving we celebrate on glorious occasions like these.”
“Sr Loredana is one of the pioneer nursing teachers at the College of Nursing of these Institutions. Blessed with an engaging personality and teaching style along with good classroom management she was one of the most sought after teachers. She has been an embodiment of the spirit of Nightingale. She gained the highest respects from her colleagues and her students admired her. She has been a great example of a nurse educator to all those around her. Her enthusiasm for teaching has no comparisons. Sr. Loredana Korah has set high benchmarks for other people with her high-quality service. She has been an ardent learner all through her life and she being young at heart and physically energetic, she still learns and her contributions to the society are outstanding. added Ms Darryl.
Ms Aranha further said, “Sr Loredana is a professor emeritus even to this day. She was awarded the Australian International Educational Foundation Fellowship in 1997 for the Orientation to Midwifery Practice & Research. Sr Loredana’s passion is a quality that cannot be learnt and an ability which cannot be taught. Thank you for being a part of these Institutions. The Nursing profession, true to the spirit of Nightingale, has been further exemplified by your dedication and commitment. We appreciate your devotion and hard work and your passion to search, care and share. As a nurse, you dispensed comfort, compassion & care without even a prescription. We are proud of you, Sr Loredana Korah and you indeed deserve our admiration, appreciation and recognition”.
In her appreciation speech after being honored, Sr Loredana said, “For my achievements and what I am today I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Father Muller Institution for all the experiences that I had gained here, and for all the encouragement and love shown towards me by the FMCI management. It’s true what Fr Richard Coelho-Director of FMCI had mentioned in his speech that Nurses exited from this prestigious institution are praised, appreciated and recognized all over the World- and I fully agree with it. What activities/Training/Encouragement that the nurses get at Fr Muller’s, you don’t get it at other health care institutions”
“Caring is the essence of nursing. Head {Brain for thinking}, Hand and Heart are the essential parts of your body needed in a nursing profession. Along with caring, Nurses should have spiritual development, where you can bring God closer to you, and bless you in your service. Nurses have one of the most demanding but rewarding jobs of any profession. Knowing that you’ve saved or enriched someone’s life makes the long hours and difficult days worthwhile. My humble request to the young nurses is to carry forward the spirit of nursing in serving and providing the best caring services to the sick” added Sr Loredana.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Sr Loredana said “Both as a nurse and as a nun, I have the unique opportunity to serve and help others. I have treated and taken care of all people, those with all sorts of health issues. My patients tell me they’re happy a nun is taking care of them. They know they are in good hands. Many a times patients who wake suddenly to see me in my white veil {habit} at night, have momentarily wondered if I am an angel. {smile}. When many of my patients were in pain, I am always there for them to ease their pain and make them feel as comfortable as possible. I feel proud of my nursing profession serving the sick/patients, and together serving Lord Jesus as a religious nun”
SISTER LOREDANA KORAH – A PROFILE:
Sr Loredana Korah was born to P K Korah, of Kottayam in Kerala. She joined the Sisters of Charity of the Mangalore Province in response to God’s call. Sr Loredana studied General Nursing and Midwifery Nursing at Kerala and secured the Third Rank at the Kerala Nurses & Midwifes Council in 1970. She achieved a First Rank and the President’s Medal at the completion of B.Sc Nursing (PC) at the Institute of Nursing Education of Bombay University in 1976 and was awarded Grade A on the successful completion of her Masters in Nursing from the SNDT Women University of Bombay in 1990. Her academic achievements speak for themselves. Presently she is a Professor Emeritus, giving guest lectures in certain colleges, and also working in a small rural maternity hospital in Bhatkal-Karikal in North Karnataka
She was a Tutor-Fr. Muller’s College of Nursing -1976-1988; Vice Principal – Fr. Muller’s College of Nursing-1990 – 1998; Principal – Fr. Muller’s College of Nursing-1998– 2003; Principal,Sidhi Sadan Lourdes CON Cochin-2004 – 2007; Member Faculty of Nursing (Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences ,Bangalore-2001 – 2002;Member NAAC (National Accreditation Assessment Council)”-2002 – 2006; Nursing Director.PG Coordinator and PG Guide-2007-2011. She has a total of 36 years in teaching experience, and was Guide for P.G students from 1992-2011 at RGUHS.
She has received two Awards: Award of President’s Medal from Countess of Differnet’s Fund to Women B.Sc. (Nursing graduates for securing FIRST RANK Bombay University for Academic year 1974 – 76,); and Awarded AIEF (Australian International Educational foundation ) Fellowship in 1997 Visited Australia for Orientation to Midwifery Practice in Australia & Research Programme. She has published five Books/Journals on Nursing and Midwifery and has presented nearly 20 papers on Health Care in Mangaluru and other parts of India.
Sr Lorenda has attended International Conferences / Seminars Workshop in Australia and Nepal. She has been a member of various Health Care organizations, to name a few : member of Board of studies – UG of the RGUHS; member of the NAAC (National Accreditation Assessment Council; Life member of TNAI (Training of Nurses Association of India); Chairperson of UG Board of studies – RGUHS; Life member of NRSI ( Nursing Research Society of India). Her Professional Achievements include: Examiner and question paper setter in RGUHS UG and PG; Question Paper setter in Calicut University Kerala for PG; Examiner and question paper setter in Goa University for P.C.B.Sc.Nursing 2003; Guide for 33 M.Sc. Nursing students and Co-guide for 1 PhD in a nursing candidate; Validate tools of M.Phil and PhD in nursing candidates – 2 (2002 – 2003); Examiner and question papers setter in MGR University T.N for UG and PG 2001- 2003; and Examiner in Research –Dissertation-MSc Nursing Manipal, 2010
Sr Lorenda has conducted Researchers on A comparative study of Attitude of Doctors and Nurses towards people living with AIDS / HIV; Knowledge and attitude of nurses regarding Political apathy in nursing – 2005 in the nursing education institutions – Cochin; Presented at Medical College – Calicut during NRSI ( Nursing Research Society of India ) Conference; and Action Research on improving the communicative English standard of staff & students-presented in the National conference, Manipal.
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