Nursing Story from Russia to Turkey: Maral Dynasty

Maral Hanedan, who came to Turkey from Russia, continued her beloved nursing profession by learning Turkish from television.

Travel from Russia to Turkey

Maral Hanedan, who is of Ahıska Turkish descent and was born and raised in Russia, settled in Turkey after about 30 years of life in Russia due to her marriage. Hanedan, whose native language is Russian, learned Turkish through the National Education Information Network (EBA) and started to pursue her nursing profession in Turkey.

Commitment to Her Profession

Despite suffering from fibroid growth, Hanedan did not give up nursing. She stated that despite her illness and surgeries, she continued her profession and approached her patients with compassion. She said, “Working makes me feel better. Approaching my patients with love helps me and them forget about the illness.”

Working at İEÜ Medical Point Hospital, Hanedan shared her challenging experiences. She said, “I am of Ahıska Turkish descent, but since I was born and raised in Russia, my mother tongue was Russian. I came to Turkey due to marriage. During the pandemic, my husband’s child was going to first grade. I also learned to read and write with him. After completing the processes, I started nursing again. It was not easy because the language was a big issue. The working methods are the same in Russia, but getting used to it here was difficult, but I overcame it all. When a person desires, they can achieve anything.”

Hanedan, who stated that she has been suffering from fibroid growth since 2014, said, “I had surgery twice in Russia. Upon the recurrence of my illness, I had a successful surgery at İEÜ Medical Point Hospital in my new home and regained my health. After the surgery, my family supported me a lot. My friends were always by my side. I had doubts about returning to the profession. Some people around me were saying that I should not return to the profession. However, with my struggle and patience, I wanted to continue this profession. I’m glad I did. Because I feel like I belong to this profession and place.”

“Stating that she both healed and healed by continuing her nursing profession, Hanedan said, “I realized that I won’t recover if I don’t continue this profession. Working makes me feel better. Approaching my patients with compassion and love helps me and them forget about the illness. Nursing is a profession that requires sacrifice. You have to approach the patients with compassion. Our patients become like a part of our family. When they recover and are discharged, we are happy,” she concluded.