–after 31 years as a dental nurse at LHC

DENTAL Nurse, Ms Patricia Daniels, fondly known as ‘Aunty Pat’, will, in a matter of days, bid farewell to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), the institution to which she has given 31 years of service.While she approaches her retirement with mixed emotions, Aunty Pat is spending her last few days reminiscing on the last three decades she gave selflessly to the hospital.
Now 61, Aunty Pat was introduced to the medical field as a Trainee Nurse, but after a while, it was a requirement that the batch be professionally trained at the newly instituted nursing school.
She proudly recalls being amongst the first batch of nurses that were recruited at the newly opened Upper Demerara Hospital.

And when the opportunity arose for her to be qualified, she accepted and registered for the two-year programme, but, unfortunately, had to re-sit medicine. Her attempt to re-sit came with many challenges, as she had to be back in the classroom and still work a full eight-hour shift.
But even after all those sacrifices, Aunty Pat was told that she couldn’t re-sit the examinations along with 5 of her colleagues. “We cry, we cry and we throw down we’self, and I said that was it! I’m not going to give it another try!” she said.
She continued as a bed-side nurse, which she enjoyed most of all, until a call was made for a full-time dental nurse. “They wanted someone at Dentistry, and though it was time-and-a-half on Saturdays and double on Sundays, I volunteered. I wasn’t looking for the money; I just wanted peace of mind. “So, there I was, out of professional into dentistry.”

THE TRANSITION
In 1998, Aunty Pat was now qualified as a professional dental nurse. Since then, she has worked along with Dr. Joseph Armstrong, who also recruited her at his private clinic. What she enjoyed most during that period, she said, is pleasing her patients and seeing them smile brightly again. She also enjoyed coordinating school programmes and educating persons on the need for dental care.
Though there were plenty of opportunities to elevate herself, Aunty Pat said that being a single-mother, she always took into consideration the safety of her two young daughters, and the benefits of maintaining a spiritual and family life.
In fact, she plans to spend her retirement getting closer to her grandchildren, and giving more in her service to God.
“I don’t want to work hard; I will continue in the private clinic, but I plan to be more active church-wise, and of course care my grandchildren,” she said.
She also hopes that a short-story she put together over the years on dental health will be published as a story book for nursery and primary schoolchildren.