“Very rewarding, not rewarding in money, but very rewarding.”

I COMMENCED my working life with an exciting career as a trained teacher, having passed

the First and Third Year Teachers’ certificate and then I went on to the Teachers’ College, where I worked my way. I enjoyed working in the school with both fellow teachers and students. It was fun, I enjoyed my work, but always aspiring for greener pastures, with a promise that the nursing profession held better pursuits for me, I decided to take the opportunity to become a nurse,” said Sister Donnette Mingo.

“It was not my first love but I have never regretted one moment of it; not one moment. If I had to live my life again and again I will always be a nurse,” Sister Mingo declared.

“In 1976, under the tutelage of Gloria M Dennison (Jamaican) and Eleanor Myres, Clinical Instructor, I commenced the nursing programme at the Charles Rosa School of Nursing, as a nursing student of batch 21.

“This was some 48 years ago, and I can say that I have never regretted it and if I have to live my life again I will happily doing nursing all over again,” Sister Mingo said.

The road to success wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. I was successful at the State Final examinations in 1979 and in 1980 I became a Registered Midwife, she said.

Sister Mingo said that in her quest she continued to do other courses, where in 1994 she qualified as a trained psychiatric nurse practitioner and in 1998, she qualified as a health visitor. Then having worked throughout the length and breadth of Guyana I was appointed senior health visitor in 2004.

She was one of the first nurses in Guyana to attend the University of Guyana to read for the degree programme, BSc of nursing degree, majoring in management. She then worked at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) for 10 years, until 2015.

“Knowledge is to be imparted”
“Having the passion to impart my knowledge, I started part-time teaching at the Georgetown School of Nursing – practical, as a Clinical Instructor. After retirement, I decided that I should continue to work; to impart my knowledge, because in my opinion knowledge is to be imparted and shared, not kept, so I applied and I was appointed a clinical instructor at the GHPC in September, 2015.”

Mingo said that in March 2016, she was appointed Coordinator of the Patient Care Assistant Programme at the Georgetown Hospital, which was successfully completed with 67 participants, some coming from as far as Region One completing the programme.

“I continued as a Clinical Instructor at the GHPC and until recently, until April 3, 2017, I started a second class of Patient Care Assistants. I do enjoy the work I do and while there are instances where there are issues to overcome, I always strive to do of my best because knowledge is power and I need to share my knowledge, especially to the younger folks and not to be an unselfish person, especially dealing with young people. Because in your entire pathway you meet them, and you have to first embrace them so that they will adopt the correct attitude to deal with issues – be them good or bad.”

Life-skills so lacking, but so necessary
“One of the first things that people need to know, especially young people, they need to be more appreciative of themselves. Life-skills, as I participate in those programmes is so lacking and at the same time so necessary to achieve success. The youths of today lack those skills; they need training in topics like anger management, conflict resolution, and to accept themselves as they are and work on their weaknesses so they can turn their weaknesses into strengths and they will become better adults,” Nurse Mingo posited.

She stated that while there will always be criticisms, nurses should be able to look at those criticisms objectively and work on them. She noted that in life one must realise that people always can try to put others down, but that should not deter them from giving of your best.

“This brings me to the point of empathy,” she said. “We should always remember that one of the qualities of a nurse, one of the core values of a nurse is being empathetic. We must always remember that one day or someday you might be the patient or someone of your loved ones might be the patient and you would always want the best. So, if that is always in your mind, you would always try to give of your best,” Sister Mingo emphasised.

“Yes, there are constraints, but all nurses know how to improvise, or they should know how to improvise, but you first have to have the right mind-set and the right attitude. “Don’t be confrontational! she implored.”

International Nurses Day 2017
“I keeping with the theme for international nurses’ day 2017, it says: ‘Nursing: A voice to lead: Achieving sustainable developmental goals’, I want to ask of my fellow senior nurses that we should all put our hearts, heads and hands together to achieve this aim; We should strive to achieve a sustainable developmental goal; Let the youths, let the younger ones adapt and see us as mentors, and in doing so they will achieve – we will lead, they will follow, because sooner or later we will become extinct and they would have to take up the leadership roles so they need to just take advice and follow-suit and nursing is going to take back the image that was lost.

“Let us take back what is rightfully ours. Nursing a noble profession, very rewarding – not rewarding in money, but very rewarding,” she said.