| “A good nurse has to be someone who really loves his or her job. You have to exhibit love, patience and kindness as well as stamina, and even forgiveness.”By Leon Suseran Our ‘Special Person’ this week had it in her from a very tender age to be a healthcare provider. In fact, at the age of ten, young Olga Kendall used to tend to the needs of Violet Boyle, a 65-year-old stroke-stricken neighbour. She bathed her; put on her clothes; combed her hair and practically assisted her in every way possible. She loved that kind of work. It was evident from then that her hands were made for pampering and nurturing persons in need.Olga KendallOlga Reubena Kendall was born at Manakaburi, Upper Berbice River—some 95 miles from New Amsterdam. Her mom and dad, Marjorie and William Agard,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, were cash- crop farmers. Olga remembered the good old days with her other nine siblings – up the Canje Creek – learning to and eventually becoming a proficient swimmer.“It was lovely, compared to now. In those days, children, as a matter of fact everyone just looked out for each other, playing—there was no fighting and quarrelling. And that area was family-oriented.” She vividly remembers playing both softball and hardball cricket and of course, swimming.She attended the Kimbia Primary School followed by Kwakwani Secondary where she started her high school education but became very nostalgic and returned home. That area was 95 miles further up the river.“I could not have coped with it, because I was very close to my mother and anything to do with farming; it was just two of us.”Prior to secondary school, she had gained seven subjects at the College of Preceptors (CP) Exams, and Olga opted to teach for a few months at Kimbia Primary. “But then I thought that I didn’t really like this to be my career, and so at a very early age, you could say, I started to do nursing.”She recalled tending to the needs of her next- door neighbour, “and she would just love for me to go to generally tidy her; comb her hair…you know, and be like a close friend to her at that age.” Olga, at age ten, then heard what were perhaps the self- fulfilling words coming from her ‘patient’s’ mouth: “I can see it within me that you [Olga] should pursue a career in nursing.”On another occasion, a few years later at age 15, one of her nephews was in a situation whereby a fish bone became stuck in of his fingers. Kendall stated that she took the boy to a Medic at Kimbia National Service. But instead of extracting the bone herself, the medic asked Kendall to do it under her supervision.Graduating as a Registered Nurse at the Bermine Centre in 1995“I am here…once there is bleeding, I will arrest it,” the medic told Kendall. “And I did that! The bone was successfully removed.”Olga applied to the New Amsterdam School of Nursing for the Professional Nursing Programme. She recalled sending out her application through the mail on the MV Kimbia steamer. After writing an assessment test, she was accepted by the school. However, due to a dire shortage [of Nursing Assistants] in those days, she obeyed the call of one of the senior nurses back then whom she knew,Jerseys NFL Cheap, to opt for studies to become a Nursing Assistant in 1980.Her first post after graduating was at the National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) after which she was posted at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Then, she and a Staff Nurse Midwife were asked to take up a position at the Baracara Health Centre, several miles up the Canje River.It turned out that due to it being a riverain post, her colleague opted to go elsewhere and not take up the position, so Kendall was left to shoulder that responsibility. “Remember,NCAA Hockey Jerseys, I was just a Nursing Assistant!” she exclaimed.She reflected that she was always an “inquisitive” nurse; always peeping into the delivery rooms at the hospitals and wanting to see what was happening; and she was never refused the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge.Little did she know that those “small” experiences would have come in handy someday. “It so happened that the very first night I went up there (Baracara)—at about midnight a woman was calling on the landing- -she was in second stage labour.”Kendall said that she could not just stand there and watch the woman in pain. She harnessed her skills—all of them—and successfully delivered a healthy baby boy!Night shift this past week with Nurses Jasmattie Dhanraj (L) and Natasha GoolcharranShe recalled that it was her first ever delivery. She noted that it was a “direct practical” situation and that once a nurse is posted in a riverain area, “you are expected to know everything.” The very next day, it so happened that Nurse Kendall was singled out for the heroic act, by the residents, to Dr. Van West Charles, the then Minister of Health. “He came to visit the Health Centre and the people loved to talk—they told him that I only came last night (to the area) and I delivered the child! I felt really good…and it was like a stepping stone that allowed me to go on to Midwifery.”But working in the riverain area was quite challenging. She recalled the mosquito bites at nights and ‘black flies’ during the day. Kendall also spoke of the obvious dangers in those areas in the rivers, creeks and waterways which pose a lot of hazards, particularly for children.She later applied to do the Professional Nursing Programme and graduated in 1995.During her years as a nurse, Kendall worked at various healthcare institutions across Berbice, including the NPH, N/A Hospital, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Mibicuri/Black Bush as well as health centres at Baracara and along the East Bank of Berbice. To boost her professional qualifications, she also completed studies at the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) in Language & Communion as well as Report Writing and Management.In 2000, she applied to do the Midwifery Programme and was successful. Working through the years as midwife at various hospitals, in 2011, Kendall was then appointed as Sister-in-Charge at the Skeldon Hospital, popularly referred to as ‘Ward Sister.’ She spent two years there before returning to the N/A Hospital. Having a wealth of experience, Kendall is aiming to reach higher in the profession with the remaining years she has left.“I love midwifery and it is joy to see a pregnant mother walk in and she delivers safely and everything is fine.” Today, even as a supervisor, when the need arises in the labour room, Kendall still assists with hospital deliveries.As a Ward Sister, Nurse Kendall is tasked with ensuring there is an adequate nursing staff. Over fifteen nurses are under her charge during any given shift. She also does allocations for the month and week such as off-duty days, and hosts ward conferences too,Brett Hull Red Wings Jersey, to see how you can help them improve. She also ensures the general units (the wards) are kept clean.“I encourage the maids to do their work and would even be along with them to assist them.”But even though Sister Kendall is in a managerial position today, she tells us that she still has direct contact with patients on a regular basis. She calls this “remembering where I came from.” Taking bed pans; bathing the patients and such like, are some of the things she still does.“Once you’re a nurse, you’re always a nurse. Many times I would go and assist—yes—whatever…medication or so—baths—I administer to them.”Dealing with a matter at the N/A HospitalKendall silently wishes nursing can return to its ‘glory days’. She does acknowledge today’s new generation and the attitudinal changes amongst young people, including the heavy influence of technological gadgets such as cell phones, etc.“A good nurse has to be someone who really loves his or her job. You have to exhibit love, patience and kindness as well as stamina, and even forgiveness. We could not, as Nursing Assistants, sit at the tables with Staff Nurse or Midwives—we were junior and were always at one side—or always at a patient’s bed- side, pulling at a sheet or combing the patient’s hair—or doing something! And that would take us through the shift…You would not be sitting around, gossiping and such like.”Kendall is happy she decided to become a nurse. She believes with all her heart that Ms. Boyle’s words eventually came to pass and the words really instilled in her very being that she had to become a nurse.“Teaching was not the calling God wanted me for.”Kendall enjoys her life to the fullest,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, with her lifelong partner, Mr. Wilfred Kendall a union which has borne three loving children: Ronley, Godwin and Abedia,Deion Sanders Falcons Jersey, the latter two of whom happen to be nurses, clearly following in their mother’s footsteps. |
