NEWS

My full name is Galabada Rallage Shalith Shamilana Bandara Athurupana but It is too long to remember. So, my friends call Shalith Athurupana I was born in Kegalle, Sri Lanka where it is full of natural beauties and many mountains. I am the eldest of my family and I have two brothers.  I am a Nurse who currently works in the Neuro Trauma Intensive care unit at National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL), Colombo. This is my first employment that I truly enjoyed and extremely grateful for experiences in intensive care nursing.

After completing my primary and secondary education I joined the nursing profession in 2012. My Nursing college in Colombo is the first nursing college in Sri Lanka and even today it is one of the leading colleges in nursing education.  I completed my nursing diploma in 2014 and assumed duties in NHSL as a registered nursing officer in Sri Lanka Nursing. I always focus on my career development to provide the best service to my client. Then I completed my BSc Honors in Nursing degree from the KATTSU International University, Sri Lanka. Now I am studying my Master’s Degree in Nursing at Open University of Malaysia (OUM). 

I am married to my wife Pubudu Buddhini, also a Nursing officer in De Soyza Maternity Hospital Colombo in Sri Lanka. We have a one-year old lovely son.

When I reflect on my time spent as an intensive care nurse, I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had to make a difference in patients and their visitors’ lives. I have been able to assist families beyond patient care. I have assisted families with getting their patients primary medical care and an intensive care unit when the parents believed consistent medical care was not an option for their family.  I have been able to work in close contact with physicians and nurses and other categories who oversee the care of my patients and visitors and have been able to help to their life and maintain good psychological levels with the help and support of their families.

I have been a member of Sri Lanka Nurses Association (SLNA) since 2014. SLNA is only one nurse’s professional association in Sri Lanka and also member of International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Commonwealth Nurses and midwives Federation (CNMF). Both organizations are federations of more than 130 national nurses’ associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide which Operate by nurses and leading nursing internationally, ICN works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally. 

I have gained incredible knowledge and education through SLNA. In 2018 I was nominated as an assistant secretary in SLNA for two years. Over the last two years as a vice secretary, I have organized   nine training programs for the staff nurses over the country to develop their professionalism. We organized one International training program with ICN in Colombo 2020 regarding Disaster Management. This training has helped to increase the knowledge of safety and preparedness for the disaster and also help for the current pandemic situation. Again in 2021 nominated as a Vice secretary in SLNA for two years. I am very enthusiastic to work with leading professionals in SLNA

I have also spent time as a volunteer at the Non-government organizations.  I express my heartfelt gratitude for selecting me as the Asia’s Outstanding Nursing Officer Award of the year 2020/2021. This is clearly one of the most significant events of my professional career. 

I am always ready to change towards better service delivery and the betterment of nursing professionals. This is also a turning point of my professional life.