A passion for patients
Every year on International Nurses Day (12 May) we shine a light on our corporate nurses, who have taken their skills beyond the bedside and into corporate healthcare. Different environments, but still advocating, still coordinating care and still making decisions that change outcomes.
Q: Tell us a bit more about your role and history.
A: I am a nurse with 11 years of experience. I am registered with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) and I’m passionate about delivering safe patient-centred care. My current role is pre-authorisation for hospital admission and procedure, where I bridge the gap between clinical care and medical requirements. My day-to-day involves reviewing treatment plans, Icdl0 codes, clinical notes from doctors to motivate and secure approvals of admissions, procedure and extended stays.
Q: How has this role shaped your view of what a nursing career can look like?
A: Working in pre-auth completely changed how I see nursing. I saw the impact of care minute by minute, I realised nursing isn’t only about bedside, it’s also advocacy, data and coordination. Every day I review clinical notes and speak to medical aid case managers and I have seen how a delayed or rejected authorisations can derail a patient’s entire recovery.
Q: What advice would you give to nurses who may be considering alternative or non-traditional career paths?
A: Bedside nursing gives gratification. Pre-authorisation is about preventing problems before they happen. You will go from ‘I helped this patient today’, to preventing 10 families from incurring expensive medical bills this week. This career is like having a superpower.
Q: What does being a nurse in this organisation mean to you, especially on International Nurses Day?
A: Nurses Day is a pause button and it matters because it compels the world and us to look up. It’s not about cake in the tearoom – it’s a reminder that nursing is not just task.
