A day in the life of a community nurse in Romania – bringing care and solace into people's homes

Loredana is a community nurse in the commune of Țigănași in north-east Romania. She serves 4 villages which have a total population of 4826.

Her working day begins when she packs her medical bag with all the equipment she will need and checks her itinerary.

Loredana’s first patient is Mamaie Lucica. Mamaie, which means “grandma” in Romanian, is the respectful way in which Loredana addresses her 73-year-old patient.

Her visit focuses on Lucica’s changed medication. Lucica has a heart condition and has suffered from poor mental health since the loss of her child at the age of 25. She explains that she lives with this traumatizing memory to this day.

Loredana asks about Lucica’s new medication, how Lucica is coping and if she has seen any improvements. She also gives advice on meals, nutrition and the best times to take her medication. Before leaving, Loredana books Lucica’s appointments with the general practitioner in the closest city and promises to pass by again soon.

Loredana’s weekly visits mean a lot to Lucica, who has lived alone since her husband died.

“When I see her coming by my heart seems to grow as big as a loaf of bread,” she says, using a local saying from the north-east part of the country to describe the joy Loredana’s visits bring to her.

Lucica describes Loredana as “a sweet soul”, always ready to help the people in Țigănași, most of whom are over 60 years of age. Many suffer from chronic conditions, but also from loneliness as most young people of the area have moved on to big cities or other countries.

Loredana heads off to see her next patient on foot. Recently diagnosed with epilepsy, she is no longer allowed to drive.

This, however, does not deter her from carrying out her profession as a community nurse. She has already convinced several colleagues at the City Hall to give her a hand by driving her when distances between villages are too far to be reached on foot.

Tataie or “grandpa” Petru lives alone in a small blue house with 1 room and a tiny antechamber. He is one of Loredana’s regular patients and, like Lucica, he counts on Loredana as a consistent presence in his life.

Today, she checks his blood pressure and blood sugar and verifies that his oxygen mask is functioning properly and that the tank does not need replenishing.

During her weekly visits, she offers health advice and support as well as much needed companionship and updates about life in the villages. As such, Loredana has become a vital pillar for the well-being of the aged population of Țigănași.

Petru lives near the newly built integrated community centre dedicated to the Țigănași commune. Loredana has a temporary office at the City Hall while she waits for this centre to be finalized.

Thanks to European Union funding available through Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, 9 other integrated community centres will be built in Iași County under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. This means that more people living in remote villages, such as Țigănași, will benefit from health and well-being services delivered by professional, capable and kind community nurses like Loredana.

After finishing the checkup, Loredana prepares Petru’s medicine box, making sure that all prescribed medicines are in the right compartments, and reminds him that he needs to take them according to the prescribed schedule.

“You know I listen to you, Miss Loredana,” Petru says appreciatively. “Of course, I took my medicine as you instructed,” he chuckles.

Loredana and Petru delve into the latest village affairs for the rest of the visit. As Petru has trouble moving long distances due to his respiratory and health issues, Loredana is now one of his only links to the world outside his small garden.

As she leaves Petru’s home, Loredana reflects on her role. “I think that a key aspect of this role is empathy.

You cannot be a community nurse if you are not willing to listen to the beneficiaries and their stories, while trying, without judgement, to support them. It was very hard at the beginning because people are reluctant to let somebody new in. But through hard work, perseverance and with goodwill, I managed to gain their trust. And now their stories and kind words are the ones that make my day.”