NURSE Odette Adams Thornton, a nurse who has been in the profession for over 21 years, is of the view that the profession has evolved over the years.
During an interview with Pepperpot Magazine, Nurse Thornton noted that the principles of nursing remain the same, there are no shortcuts in doing this job.

“I wouldn’t say gone are the days when nurses are not all wearing white, but it is the profession that has really seen the level of dynamics because people admire the nurses wearing white, but not all nurses wear white,” Nurse Odette told the Pepperpot Magazine.

She noted that you can come into the profession being a nursing assistant and work your way up to become a Ward Sister, thus managing the day-to-day running of the Ward.
When asked what she likes about the profession, Nurse Odette responded that it is a profession that humbles you, given the level of kindness and compassion that the profession attracts and the level of patience that is needed for the job.

“People come from different backgrounds, from every sphere of life and we cannot stereotype [people]based on somebody’s reaction or attitude when it comes to giving care,” Nurse Odette was quoted as saying.
Days when you feel like you have overworked

“There are times in my career when I feel like I have overworked myself, but it is in those times that I garner support from my colleagues…Nursing is all about the team, it is never a one-man show,” she explained. “There was one point in my life, that I could remember doing Nursing and going without a salary for a year and going to work every day. It is not about the money, but having a heart and showing kindness to people.”

The nurse attributed her love for the job to her ability to administer kindness to persons from all walks of life and persons who need care.
Following a whole line of people in her family who were in the profession was the motivation for Nurse Odette to join the noble profession.

“When I think triggered it more is there was an incident in my family, where a family member had to go to the hospital and had needed attention and care. After I saw this family member lying there and how the nurses and doctors manoeuvred around him, I was moved to compassion, and made the decision to join this noble profession,” Nurse Odette revealed.
Motivators in the profession

“I think my mom is my biggest motivator, a former nurse herself,” Nurse Odette told Pepperpot Magazine.
She also added that if she had to do it all over again, nursing would be the profession chosen, as a result, if a choice was to be made by her, it would have been something in addition to her nursing career.

According to her, in the profession of nursing, you have to counsel people and the like.
“A passion for what you do should be your driving force in the upward mobility of your career as a nurse,” she said. Nurse Odette believes that change of the individual should be the catalyst regarding improvement of the nursing profession in Guyana.

“I believe it needs to start personally, before we can move to societal community, and all of that, because you are a nurse in your home first, then your community and then the larger society,” Nurse Odette related.

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this important day each year.

The theme for the 2021 resource is Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare. In 2021, we seek to show how nursing will look into the future, as well as how the profession will transform the next stage of healthcare.