Senior nurse encourages others

By Naomi Marshall
“YOUR beginning does not have to be your ending,” are the words of Donnett Graham Gullin, Nurse in charge of the Male Medical and Surgical Unit at the Linden Hospital Complex.

Gullin had a rough start to life which resulted in some hardships along the course of her life, but she never allowed those hardships to stop her from reaching her goal of becoming a Registered Nurse.

Gullin grew up in Victory Valley, a community in the mining town of Linden, with her father, mother and 10 siblings who were all taught the importance of life and knowing Christ from a young age.

At age nine, her family began to encounter financial difficulties which led Gullin and her siblings to begin making brooms, flowers and Christmas trees to sell to bring an extra income into the house.

“I remember many days going home from school with nothing to eat for lunch and hoping to have dinner. In my secondary school years, I remember my mom turning my uniform inside out to create a new one since she could not afford to buy a new one,” the 41-year-old recalled.

However, Gullin told this magazine that amidst her struggles, which taught her how to be independent, contented and appreciative from a young age, she had dreams of becoming a Nurse/Midwife, a profession that suited her passion for helping others.

In 2001, Gullin did not have the prerequisites to directly enter the nursing field, so instead, she entered the Nursing Assistant Programme which she graduated from in 2003.
With the mindset of reaching her goal no matter what came her way, she entered the Post Basic Midwifery Programme in 2006 and graduated as a Registered Midwife in 2007. This led to her working in the Maternity Unit at the Linden Hospital Complex which she enjoyed; however, this was not enough for Gullin.

“There were challenges faced which made me stronger as the years go [sic] by, but I was not comfortable with just being a Midwife, so I applied for the Professional Nursing Programme in April 2010 and was successful. I graduated as a Registered Nurse in 2014,” the woman added.

Additionally, Gulling, who likes to keep herself engaged and active, obtained certificates in Report Writing, Customer service, Humanitarian service, Infection control and prevention, Capacity building and Supervisory Management, among others.

Owing to encouragement from her colleagues, Gullin applied to become the Nurse in charge of the Male Medical and Surgical Unit at the Linden Hospital Complex in 2017 and she was successful.

While sharing a few of her memorable moments with the Pepperpot Magazine, the God-fearing woman recalled that she was able to do two successful home deliveries during her years of doing midwifery, which was a great experience for her.

She added, “It had times mothers hold me and ‘buss up’ my uniforms. I went home without any buttons, but all of these things are so good because you feel satisfied going home, knowing that you never had a maternal death; all babies alive so that motivated me to stay in the profession.”

According to the Nurse/Midwife, she always encourages fellow nurses to elevate themselves within the profession, treat others how they would like to be treated, work in unity and demonstrate good professional conduct at all times.

Gullin noted that nursing is a noble profession which requires nurses to be humble, disciplined and compassionate.

“It must be your heart’s desire, you must have a heart that cares for persons because if you choose a job that you don’t really care about, you would not work and your full potential would not be realised,” are Gullin’s words to persons considering entering the nursing profession.

Gullin is also recognised for her conceptualisation and contribution to the ‘Little Friends Childcare and Drop-in Centre’ as a result of challenges faced by herself and colleagues of the Linden Hospital Complex in securing proper care providers for their children close to their place of employment.

‘Little Friends Childcare and Drop-in Centre’ is located next to the Linden Hospital complex and provides 24 hours of quality care and comfort in a safe, friendly environment to employees’ children. It also offers an early learning programme that enables the children to grow and reach their full potential.

The Nurse/Midwife who is also a Christian Educator told this magazine that she hopes to obtain her Degree in Midwifery in the future.