Indonesian nurses

Indonesian Nurses

It turns out that there is a large group of unemployed nurses in Indonesia. All graduated at Bachelor level, but due to insufficient demand, they cannot find a job. It is the world turned upside down.

These nurses, too, must first start as Certified Nursing Assistants (Verzorgende IG) in the Netherlands. Only after obtaining their BIG registration are they allowed to work as nurses. But just like their Surinamese colleagues, they have absolutely no trouble with that. Here, they can earn money and gain experience.

Opella holds a special significance for me. It is the nursing home where my wife Hester lived when she was living with Alzheimer’s. I had to see with my own eyes what a shortage of care professionals did to the care for my wife, and now I could make a difference. These Indonesian heroes brought not only their knowledge and caring hearts to the workplace, but also a piece of their culture. The delicious food and the different aromas brought back many memories for the residents.

Of course, the Dutch language is important. The Surinamese colleagues grew up with it, but the Indonesian ones did not. CareVisie provided the language training in Jakarta, among other places, so that they could all understand and speak Dutch. Nevertheless, this is and remains a challenge, and it does not always come naturally. That is why it is important that the Dutch colleagues are aware of this as well, and ultimately, things work out. Sometimes it is just a matter of a bit more time.

A beautiful memory has stayed with me when a new Indonesian nurse started. One of the residents was also from Indonesia herself and started talking to her in their language. Something you see often with dementia. I didn’t understand a word of it, but the body language spoke volumes.

-Ton