Fifty females and one male from Regions 3, 4 and 5, are undergoing training under the Patient Care Assistant Training Programme. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, the six-month programme was designed to prepare Patient Care Assistants to perform basic nursing skills under the supervision of a professional nurse.
The release stated that at the formal launch of the programme which is in its seventh week, Chairperson of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Board, Kesaundra Alves read the Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence’s charge. Alves said that that as Patient Care Assistants, they will provide direct and or indirect care which includes medical assessment, treatment, counselling and psychological assistance.
According to the release, Alves said that the students who will be sent to the Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration, will have to interact with the less fortunate and homeless who may be in need of medical assessment and treatment, counselling and psychological assistance to enable them to become disciplined and productive members of society.
She further explained to the students, the release stated, that at the Palms Geriatric Home they will be providing care for the elderly who need more careful attention as they advance in age. She noted that some patients may demand more care due to their health conditions and urged that kindness always be extended.
“There may be instances when you may be called to perform extra duties; do not make it an issue, but respond with compassion; your intervention may just be the response that eases the patients’ state of mind,” the release quoted Alves as saying.
According to the release, Alves said that the Minister of Public Health would like to remind the students that their patients come first, that they are critical to providing high quality care with desirable outcomes, and that there must be a comprehensive approach to effective patient care service. Chief Executive Officer of the GPHC, Allan Johnson, in his encouragement to the students urged them to revise constantly and excel in their training, the release stated. Johnson said that for a majority of the students that are in the course, “this is a second chance” and he hoped that they would make use of the second chance that has been granted to them. Johnson told the students that, “they will be successful in their training” which will help improve the health sector.
GINA spoke with several of the students.
Sherry Ann Toney-Cort said, “I have been working at the Palms for 10 years and I have now been given the opportunity to be trained in what I love doing. I am very thankful to God for this opportunity. Thus far the programme has been wonderful and very informative.”
Marcus Fraser stated, “Thus far I have enjoyed the programme, I have some important lessons such as testing vitals and most of all being confidential when it comes to the patient, which is very important.”
Osvena Chung said, “I have been working at the Palms for six years and I am hoping that this programme will help me improve my work ethics and show us what we are missing when caring for patients.”
Colene Deonarine stated that, “I have been working at the Palms for six years and I hope that this training will teach me how to deal with mentally ill patients because we have a lot to deal with. Caring for these persons is something that I like very much and I want to improve myself when caring of them.”
This is the eleventh batch of trainees of the programme.
