THE nursing capacity of the local health sector has been further strengthened with the training and subsequent certification of 17 nurses in the area of critical care.

The certified group, following a six months course at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), were, on Thursday, presented with certificates at a graduation exercise in GPH’s Multi-Purpose Centre, on New Market Street.
The graduates were from six hospitals, GPH six, Linden Hospital two, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital two, West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) two and New Amsterdam Hospital one.
The lone male among them was Devon Mc Lennon from the WDRH and the best graduate was  Melinda Patterson, the only, from New Amsterdam.
Second best was Melinda Persaud from the GPH and two – Christabelle Fitzpatrick from St. Joseph and Diddiana Sutton of the GPH shared the third best graduate status.
GPH Director of Nursing Services, Ms. Audrey Corry who delivered the charge, congratulated the nurses for the diligence with which they applied themselves while being coursed and for completing the programme.
She exhorted them, not to see the course as an end in itself but as part of a process of continuous upgrading within the profession, designed to achieve greater efficiency.
Corry challenged the nurses to ensure they utilise the skills imparted to them to improve the health of the patients within their care.

With pay
She also thanked the respective hospitals for making the nurses available to be trained and for releasing them with pay over the six months.
The coursing was done from July to November 2012 and facilitators were health professionals from Guyana and overseas.
Assistant Director of Nursing Services, Mr. Owen John and Dr. Andrew Amatha joined in congratulating the nurses and admonished them to work conscientiously as they go about their duties and, on going back, to their respective hospitals, ensure they perform as a team since, in health care, the participation of every member is important and a chain is as strong as its weakest link.