Meenakshi has done nursing and is working as an OT head. She thinks that serving people in distress and helping them recover is the noblest profession.

Meenakshi Gautam is currently working as an OT in charge at the GBH American Hospital, Udaipur. She has done her nursing at Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital, Jaipur. She worked there for about ten years. For a short time after marriage, Meenakshi moved to Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Now, she has been working in Udaipur for the past seven years and is content with her professional journey.

Meenakshi says that when she joined nursing, she was skeptical about her career growth or the work that she would have to do. As she progressed and got to know the profession better, she realized that nothing could be better than helping and caring for people in distress. Meenakshi says that nursing is also a very immersive field, and with hard work and continuous study, one can reach heights of success.

Discussing her role as the OT in charge at the hospital, she emphasizes the necessity for meticulous management. Her responsibilities include overseeing staff duties in various operation theaters, assigning different operations, scheduling procedures, ensuring the sterilization of OTs, procuring all necessary equipment for the next day, and fostering coordination among different departments.

Talking about COVID, Meenakshi says that it was a tough time, especially while conducting operations. Their first case for conducting an operation came from Bhilwara. Initially, they were all confused as to how things would be conducted and managed. But their management supported them and provided them with all COVID safety essentials, and the operation was completed successfully. Meenakshi feels happy to say that they rejected no case and did their best even in tough conditions.

Meenakshi remembers a case that she will never forget in her lifetime. It was regarding an elderly person who came in for a laparoscopy. He used to write beautiful slogans for everyone, and she also got one slogan from him. However, during the procedure, his blood pressure shot high, and they lost him. Meenakshi says that even after ten years, the face of that wise man still plays like a film in front of her eyes. She says that life is very unpredictable, and no one can guess what will happen next.

Meenakshi feels that experience is the next step after education and helps in applying the concepts learned to practical use. She says that if someone in her profession doesn’t know about patient care, medical care, or the roots of medicine and has not practiced in the field, they will never succeed. Hence, both of these are equally important.

Meenakshi thinks that a good leader is one who is both strict and lenient as per the situation. A leader should help their teammates learn new things and always support them. It’s the duty of a leader to lead the team in the right direction.

Meenakshi remembers one of her teachers from her nursing college days, Mrs. Mathews. She was a very dedicated and involved teacher, says Meenakshi. She was active both in academics and extracurricular activities and always motivated her students.