By the end of July next year, Guyana’s public health sector should be given a boost in dealing with patients in the high dependency as well as intensive care units, as a result of a critical care nursing programme launched yesterday.
The programme is intended to equip nurses to deal with life threatening emergency cases that are warded in the intensive care and high dependency units of hospitals across Guyana.
Twenty nurses are enrolled in the programme: ten from the Georgetown Public Hos-pital and two each from the New Amsterdam, Suddie, Linden and West Demerara public hospitals as well as two from St Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy acknowledged the need for urgency in implementing the programme, because of the paucity of nurses trained in the area of critical care. He stated that in this programme the quality of nurses will not be compromised in an effort to increase quantity. The implementation of the programme, the minister stressed, will forever be recorded in the annals of the GPH’s history, as one of the greatest milestones reached, because it is long overdue.
Further, he said his ministry recognised the need for more practical care accredited programmes and not just workshops. He expressed the hope that the training will be done on a continuous basis to ensure most nurses are exposed to it.
Director of Nursing Audrey Corry in her brief remarks lauded the GPHC for making such an event possible, and promised that nurses will utilize the skills inculcated.
Dr Alexandra Harvey, Head of Anaesthesia/ICU, expressed gratitude that more nurses were being trained in this special field, since it is sorely needed.
Assistant Director, Nursing Services/In-Service Educa-tion Coordinator Owen John gave a brief overview of the programme. He informed that it will run for one year and nurses were required to sign a three-year contract.
Partners in the programme include the Lutheran Church in Guyana, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A 95% attendance, 65% for written tests and 75% for practicals are some of the requirements to guarantee graduation from the course.
The launching ceremony was held in the Multi Purpose Hall, Maternity Compound, GPH.
