“For the past 16 years, I have worked as a scrub nurse and assisted in more than 6,000 orthopaedic surgeries. I’ve seen fear before operations and relief afterwards, but what patients remember most is the person who stays beside them through it all.

I come from Eppalapalli Thanda, a small tribal hamlet in Nagarkurnool district. I was the first person from my village to step out and study. I moved to Hyderabad at the age of eight. Even here, my family struggled financially. Growing up, I saw health problems in my village that many people in cities rarely notice. I wanted to become a doctor, but we couldn’t afford it. So I chose nursing — and it gave me a way to serve people directly.

In the beginning, I faced judgement. Some people would ask, ‘Why is a tribal boy doing a woman’s job?’ I continued anyway. I completed B.Sc. Nursing and specialised in Medical-Surgical Nursing.

One patient I still remember was an elderly man whose sons lived abroad. After surgery he had no one beside him. I stayed with him for a week and cared for him like my own father. That experience strengthened my belief in this profession.

During COVID-19, many people understood the importance of nursing care. But respect should exist every day. In 2017, I started the Nursing Officers Association to speak for nurses, especially in private hospitals — for fair pay, dignity and equal respect.

I have always stayed connected to my roots. I worked on tribal health research in Bhadrachalam, raised awareness on malnutrition and skin diseases, organised free workshops, and brought nurses together through programmes like the National Young Nurses Conference. I also led campaigns for safer deliveries and candle rallies across Telangana.

I’ve received the Youth Icon Award, Florence Nightingale Nurses Award, and the State-Level Best Nurse Award in 2024. But more than awards, what matters to me is continuing the journey.

Today, as the State Joint Secretary of the Telangana Nurses Association, I work for better conditions for the nursing community across the state and the country.”

— Laxman Rudavath