By Utamu Belle
For Lindener Tisha Tamisha Campbell working as a Registered Nurse has been the motivational factor which has seen her staying true to her passion and life’s calling. Campbell is a newly-trained critical care nurse attached to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), who is presently working at the medical institution’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
She is a proud product of the Charles Roza School of Nursing — Batch # 59.
“My main motivation and the reason I became a nurse was to have the opportunity to impact the health, well-being and quality of life of patients, not only through direct patient care but also through education,” Nurse Campbell told the Sunday Times Magazine.
She added that her drive to pursue nursing was also embedded in her love for health care as well as the desire to serve and make a meaningful impact. Over the years, she has fostered these attributes through volunteerism by working as a peer educator with the Public Health Ministry and Linden-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) For the Children’s Sake Foundation where a lot of the work is health-based.
“A typical day in my life as a nurse working at the ICU Department involves constant monitoring, assessment, being involved in codes during resuscitation efforts and giving quality bedside nursing care,” she shared.
Campbell believes that nursing is for the compassionate and is a calling for persons who are selfless and patient. As such, she shared how important it is to celebrate the hard work and dedication of nurses throughout Guyana and the rest of the world, especially at a time when the world is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“International Nurses’ Day means a lot to me, because it’s a day set aside to say ‘thank you’ to the nurses that go above and beyond the call of duty for people committed to their care. International Nurses’ Day is even more meaningful this year in the face of this pandemic, as we look to our frontline workers to make personal sacrifices and take greater risk for the greater good of the country and its people,” Nurse Campbell related.
She also shared her opinion of how fitting it is for this year to be dedicated to honour the commitment and sacrifices of nurses around the world.
“This year — “The Year of the Nurse”, the world looks on and recognises the importance of our nurses and how essential they are to the health and well-being of the nation. It’s…for reflection as we contemplate the quality of the work we give and strive to become better in an effort to improve the services we provide… the world recognises the risk inherent in our jobs and says ‘thank you’ for being there regardless,” Nurse Campbell said.
Since her job function entails providing critical care, the young professional nurse sees her role as quite a serious one. She is usually faced with countless circumstances which are basically a matter of life and death.
“My most memorable moment is being a part of the code that resuscitated a patient whose heart stopped. Being able to be a part of the process that allowed him to survive that moment where he was nursed back to health so much so that he was able to go home and back to relatives was remarkable and is imprinted on my memory. It reiterates the importance of having our nurses who are competent and capable of identifying patients in danger and are able to respond adequately and prompt for improved patient outcomes,” Nurse Campbell related.
When asked where she sees herself in her profession years from now, the enthusiastic nurse stated that she has her eyes set on personal development.
“Personal development and continued education is a value of mine, so I do see myself pursuing a degree in nursing in the future that I hope will serve as a stepping stone for elevation in my profession. One of the things that I’ve learnt from being a nurse is that at one point or another we rely on each other’s knowledge. So as much as you learn you should teach, so, ultimately, we make each other better and more equipped to give efficient care,” she said.
In revealing challenges of this noble profession, Nurse Campbell related that being a nurse in a developing country, there was the challenge of not being able to provide efficient care due to limited resources. This, she explained, is compounded by being behind as it relates to medical advances, technology, and skilled personnel. Nevertheless, she noted that Guyana’s health-care system has made a lot of strides, while admitting that there was a lot of room for improvement.
“I think as we celebrate nurses, we should also advocate for continued training opportunities, more on-the-job learning activities for skills development and scholarships for capacity building,” she concluded.
