…as Health Minister highlights job opportunities for graduates
One hundred and forty-eight nurses have joined the health sector in Guyana and received their certification on Monday in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Best graduating nurse Dian Fraser receiving the best graduating trophy from Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony
Of the group that graduated on Monday, 20 completed the midwifery programme, 31 completed the professional nursing programme, and the rest graduated from the nursing assistant programme at the New Amsterdam School of Nursing.
The Nursing Assistant Programme focused on foundational nursing skills, enabling graduates to provide essential care and support in diverse healthcare settings across Guyana while the professional nurses are now equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver exceptional nursing care which is a reflection of the comprehensive and rigorous training they have received.
The midwifery programme provided hands-on clinical training and theoretical knowledge to prepare the midwives for their pivotal roles in maternal and neonatal healthcare.
The NA graduating batch on Tuesday
Meanwhile, a new batch of 13 student midwives, 127 professional nurses and 132 nursing assistants is currently ongoing.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony addressing the graduates reiterated that the health sector in Guyana is being transformed and this is being done not only with the construction of new buildings, the installation of new equipment and introducing new programmes, but also by providing training for more persons in the health sector.
“If you were wondering why it is that we want to train so many people and why we are in such a hurry, it is because we want to expand the services and we want to make sure that we have more people who would be there to work with our patients. So, this batch that is graduating, they are all going to get a job with the Ministry of Health and we are going to put them in different hospitals and make sure that they can help to deliver these services,” Anthony explained.
The Health Minister said if they are thinking of a career in medicine, it is one where they will be required to continue learning because every day there is something new in medicine.
“So, for those of you who are graduating as professional nurses, one of the things that we will be starting are specialised programmes in nursing because when we open the big fancy new New Amsterdam Hospital here we will need ICU (Intensive Care Unit) nurses. We will need cardiac nurses, and all the specialised services that we are offering will need specialist care and if we don’t train people, where are we going to get these specialists to offer the care?”
Already specialists nursing programmes are available for professional nurses in the capital city Georgetown. Anthony said he is hoping to be able to get some of the faculties to start similar programmes in New Amsterdam.
Anthony pointed out that a new nursing school is currently being constructed at the old New Amsterdam Hospital and the University of the West Indies will utilise the current New Amsterdam Nursing School to run University of the West Indie (UWI) nursing programmes. (G4)
