One hundred and seventeen (117) nurses from the New Amsterdam (NA) School of Nursing, were on Wednesday, encouraged to invest enthusiasm into their work and rise above and beyond the call of duty, as they enter into the working world.
The call was made by the Regional Advisor to the Senior Minister of Public Health, Alex Foster, as he delivered the feature address at the school’s 15th Biennial Graduation ceremony.
According to a DPI release, Foster told the graduates that nursing is a noble profession which needs dedicated persons who are determined to render services earnestly and engender positive changes within the Ministry of Public Health. “Each one of you is precious to the fabric that makes up Public Health … I, therefore, ask that today this be taken seriously, and you put your training into action … and be determined to make a difference,” Foster underscored.
Acting Principal and Senior Tutor of the New Amsterdam School of Nursing, Oselene Hicken-Paul, reported that in the year 2017, institution saw major developments compared to the previous years. Among these was the acquisition of seven full-time tutors and some senior nurses who lecture part-time and ensured that the curriculum is completed. Hicken-Paul also reported that two new classrooms were installed, along with a spanking new Student Hostel.
For the past two years, the school has conducted training for the Professional Nursing, Nursing Assistant, Post Basic Midwifery and the Single Trade Midwifery programs. In 2017, there was an intake of 19 single trade midwifery students; while in 2018, there were 112 students registered, of which 54 were listed for the professional programme and there were 58 entries for nursing assistant, however, nine students withdrew.
At the graduation, there were students who commenced training between the years 2011 and 2016. Among the graduates are 61 Registered Nurses (RN), 44 Nursing Assistants (NA) and 12 Midwives. These include eight male graduates who were acknowledged for their perseverance.
The acting Principal further highlighted that every participant was successful in the final examination there resulting in a 100 per cent pass rate in October 2017 and 2018.
Newly graduated Registered Nurse (RN), Reniska Marks-Warde was the valedictorian for the Class of 2018. In her speech, she reminded her colleagues of the challenging encounters and the many sacrifices they made while attending classes. Marks encouraged her batch, along with those who have completed other programmes, to always be professional in their respective fields.
The graduates were later charged by Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) L. Johnson, to be humble and to always make health and safety their number one priority. Johnson also encouraged the class of 2018 to take advantage of the courses and programmes offered by the University of Guyana and other accredited institutions, which will advance their academic lives.
