With each new day, Andre Brandon puts himself at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus disease but his passion for his job knows no bounds.
Brandon, 27, is a registered radiology or medical imaging nurse in the Medical Imaging Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where he has been working overtime owing to the pandemic.
Being as a health worker has always been a dream of Brandon, although not in the field of nursing.
He grew up at Annandale and Buxton and he and his three siblings were often back and forth between their grandmother and an aunt as their mother, a teacher, was not always around having a one point being stationed at school in Mahdia. He attended Company Road Primary and then the Golden Grove Secondary School. It was his hope when he had completed school, he would go on to pursue studies in medicine and become a doctor. He was sixteen years old when he completed his secondary education and was waiting to take up a scholarship opportunity when he chose to venture into the world of work and was employed at Caribbean Cinemas. Eventually Brandon decided to study at the Guyana School of Nursing but the regular nursing studies took him and his colleagues four years instead of three as a result of them being a larger batch of more than 200 persons. Following his graduation, he began working at the GPH and has since been providing his services as a nurse for over four years. He worked in several areas in the medical field before specialising in imaging.
Asked whether he still wants to become a doctor, Brandon said no. He explained that as a young boy growing up, all he ever wanted to do was to help others and being a nurse has allowed him to do so as it brings one into contact with patients more than being a doctor ever would.
In light of the pandemic, Brandon shared that his regular eight-hour work days has turned into 12-hour work days. He works Mondays to Fridays but on four of the five days he puts in 12 hours while on the fifth day, he works eight hours. However, the following week instead of four days, he works three 12-hour days and two eight-hour work days. The additional four hours, he noted, comes as a result of the hospital’s heavy workload. At first it was challenging to put in the extra hours but he has since grown accustomed to it.
He is one of the registered nurses who works in the CT/CAT (computed tomography) scan section of the Imaging Department. His jobs entails checking patients’ blood pressure and checking to see whether they are well enough to undergo CAT scans, which would be done by the hospital’s technicians. Brandon said that he always takes the necessary precautions by wearing his personal protective equipment (PPE), inclusive of his mask, a gown, over-shoe-covers and a cap for his head. Recently, they also began wearing face shields over their masks as extra precautionary measures.
Even more challenging than working a 12-hour shift, he noted, is having to wear his PPE at all times as it is not the most comfortable attire. However, Brandon, who lives with his extended family, said he thinks of their safety often and takes extra care to avoid catching the virus. His seven-year-old niece, he shared, is always waiting to give hugs the minute he gets home, which is a moment he looks forward to as much as she does. Now when he arrives at home, he gets cleaned up first before any hugging takes place. The nurse said that he and his family have talked with the child about the seriousness of the virus and she has come to understand this. He tries to stay safe for her more than anyone.
Speaking of staying safe to avoid passing on the virus to vulnerable family members, Brandon shared that he was saddened and disappointed when earlier last week he saw videos of hundreds of persons hanging out at the seawall. Such persons, he said, are selfish as they continue disobeying social distancing restrictions.
While he takes care to maintain social distancing, his job brings him into contact with patients and colleagues, those who could very well be carrying the virus but unknown to others and themselves because they are asymptomatic.
The National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) had last month announced a six-phase of rollback of restrictions in Guyana and on Friday phase two of the six-phase plan began. Brandon said while he does not agree with this in regard to the recent surge in positive cases, he understands the need for persons to get back to work, especially many single parents who have no other means of financial support.
Every day he meets someone who wants to know what is happening as a result of the pandemic and he finds himself sharing his knowledge with them. He has on several occasions spoken with persons who believe that the virus being in Guyana is a hoax and he has tried to help them understand that it really isn’t but according to Brandon, it is not that easy to convince them. “I would advise the general public to adhere to guidelines given in regard to the virus. You are not only saving yourself but also your love ones. Continue to maintain proper hygiene as well as social distancing,” Brandon admonished.
