– Linden kicks off nursing week activities

IT HAS been 60 years since the Charles Roza School of Nursing (CRSN) has been providing Guyana’s nursing workforce with competent, well trained and efficient nurses who have been serving at the various medical institutions countrywide. Over the last 60 years, the school graduated thousands of registered nurses, nursing assistants and midwives who have been providing the needed services in the medical profession.

The Mackenzie Hospital Nursing School, located in the same compound with the old Mackenzie Hospital started operation on February 27, 1959. It was later renamed the Charles Roza School of Nursing in memory after its Founder. Since its establishment, intakes would have increased from eight to 115. Presently, the school has a student population of 197. This has resulted in management making the necessary expansions, advancements and modifications, to meet the growing demand of nursing students. Initially, there were only two programmes, the Professional Nursing Programme and the Post Basic Midwifery programme. In 2006, the school added the Nursing Assistant Programme and the Rural Midwifery Programme.

Tutor at CRSN, Sister Roxanne Niles-Alleyne related that the Rural Midwifery programme which is completed in two years, provides training for residents of rural and hinterland communities, that may possess some form of medical qualification, such as a community health worker. In these areas, a medical facility may be miles away from the villages and these trained midwives often assist with home births. For the Professional Nursing Programme, the students are expected to past three main examinations which span throughout the semesters. Niles- Alleyne related that the pass rate for that along with the other programmes is between 79 and 100 percent. She said that while the school is in Linden, it trains students from all across Guyana and the students from the other regions return to serve their communities while those in Linden are posted at either the Linden Hospital, the Upper Demerara Hospital or the Kwakwani Hospital. “They are told that they will be serving their country and not just their community,” she said.

In the recent past, the CRSN has recorded several advancements and expansions to provide a more comfortable and conducive learning experience for students. The building was expanded to include more classrooms and a conference room, tutors were provided with laptops and classrooms have been provided with the necessary teaching tools needed for the technological era. In addition to the theoretical aspect of learning, students are also posted at day-care centres, nursery schools, hospitals and health care facilities to facilitate provide them with hands-on experience.

“The school continues to produce professionals of great credibility. Former students of the school would have moved on to be Doctors, Health Officers, Nurse educators, Pharmacists, and those who are pursuing their Masters and PhD in nursing. The school intends to strengthen nursing as a discipline in the field of health and maintain standards in keeping with current knowledge and trends in Nursing and Medicine,” Niles Alleyne said.

Presently, the school is also accommodating the Patient Care Assistant Programme which has an intake of 60. This programme is geared towards providing a means of entry into the medical field for Lindeners who may not have the basic qualifications required for either the assistant and professional nursing programme at CRSN.

These trainee nurses, as well as those already in the profession, will join nurses around the world in celebrating National Nurses Week which will be held between May 5-10. In Linden, the week’s activities kicked off with a church service on Monday and a road march on Tuesday. Other activities include research presentation, workplace health education and dinner and award ceremony