Maggy Khosa

Maggy1

Maggy is an enrolled nurse auxiliary (ENA) won grew up in Bushbuckridge and is currently working in Johannesburg.
How old were you when you decided to pursue your current career path and what inspired you?
I was 18 years old, my dad was diabetic and depended on insulin injections. My mother had lack of knowledge about diabetes and was misinformed, so that made me want to study nursing in order to have more knowledge about certain diseases (especially diabetes) so that I can help my mother take better care of my dad.
Did you ever get help with career guidance? Any mentor(s) & what role did they play?
Yes I did. My mentor is Sr Maria Jantjies from Port Elizabeth and she played an important role in my life. I can confidently insert a gastrointestinal feeding tube and nasogastric tube because of her. She taught me that I can be anything in life as long as I set my mind to it, and I must never say I can’t do or learn something because it’s not my scope of practice; I must always be eager to learn to pave my way to the top.
What challenges did you face (or are facing) / had to overcome in your journey?
Being based in a society where people think you think you're better than them when you try to learn something that’s out of your scope of practice.
What has been your biggest driver/motivator?
It’s knowing that if you fail today, you can pick yourself up and try again tomorrow because tomorrow is forever.
What advice or key learning points from your journey would you like people to take onto theirs?
Tomorrow holds the key to your future and always aim for the moon. Failing is not the end of the world and don’t ever let anyone discourage you. Finally, always know that learning has no age limit, try until you reach your goal(s).
Any advice for a young person from a rural area / township who currently has no clue where to even start when choosing a career path?
Start by investigating/researching from others or ask your teachers which subjects best suit what you want to study and see where you lack. Find out how you can improve on those subjects, and which symbols (marks) do they want at varsity or college for you to qualify for the course you want. Ask if there are career exhibitions that you can attend before you can make up your mind, seek help also from those who excel on the subjects you struggle with. Always choose careers that are in line with the subjects you choose or the one’s you do your best in, that way you will know what to study for in varsity.