Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 27, 2020 News
>Champion Health Care Provider<<
By Sharmain Grainger
By virtue of its caring nature, the nursing profession has long been classified as noble. In fact, Coretta Alves, a registered and critical care nurse, recently made it pellucid that “nursing is not about the white uniform or the money, it’s about how you take care of the people, from all walks of life, who come to you for help.” As such, she has concluded “if you have a heart for people, nursing just might be the job for you.” But even though she is now eight years along in the profession, Nurse Alves recently admitted that back in the day, long before she’d developed a passion for nursing, she was seriously eyeing a career as an accountant. Moreover, she opted for the Business stream when she attended the Abram’s Zuil Secondary School. However, fate had other plans streamlined for this damsel of Indigenous heritage who hails from the Village of Capoey in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region. Eager to share a key fact about her village, even as Heritage Month activities wind down, Nurse Alves said that, “Capoey is an Arawak word meaning the rising of the moon.” However, because of her work these days, she has taken up residence at Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast. Nurse Alves currently practices at the Suddie Public Hospital and though being a doctor would have been her next choice, she has no professional regrets. STUMBLED INTO NURSING Reminiscing on her journey to becoming a nurse, she matter-of-factly intimated, “I stumbled into nursing…” This, she explained, translated to her being wooed into the profession by a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) officer who had visited Capoey to attend a meeting. At the time, she was fresh out of school and contemplating her next move. The NDC officer, she recalled, “told me about nursing and helped me to fill out my nursing application and here I am today a registered nurse and critical care nurse.” But what was entirely unexpected to he
ar from this dedicated nurse was the fact that back then, she hadn’t a clue what the job entailed. “I had no idea who was a nurse or what a nurse did,” Nurse Alves related. However, what she possessed at that time, and continues to portray to date, is a love for humanity. In fact, she confessed that it has been this very trait that has kept her committed over the years. As a registered nurse, she started out at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation before being relocated to Suddie. Over the years, she has learnt a great deal including the fact that “nursing is not just a job, it is a higher calling and you must do it from the heart…it requires commitment, sacrifice and selflessness,” said Nurse Alves. ALWAYS DEDICATED Raised by her mother, Ilinda Abrams, a housewife, and step-father, Jerrel Abrams, a wood-cutter, Nurse Alves who was born under the Virgo zodiac sign (September 20, 1990) had learned, from an early age that dedication is one of the best assets to help propel an individual to great heights. But nursing has changed a lot since COVID-19. Speaking to this, Nurse Alves, who delivers care to patients in the hospital’s isolation department, said, “I am accustomed to having a one on one with my patients, being there for them, comforting them by holding their hands, even giving them a hug or just sitting by their bedside listening to their concerns, fears, about family, etc…but now, there are barriers such as time limit to being in contact with them.” As if this was not impacting enough, the nursing routine, she had long grown familiar with, has now evolved to a point that she must attend to patients fully garbed in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
“It saddens me not being able to care for my patients the way I am accustomed to. So, what I try to do is make them as comfortable as possible,” she revealed. The pandemic has however taught her some valuable lessons such as “everything we have is not permanent whether it is a job, health, money, family, etc…it can all be taken away from us in a split second.” She has also come to truly appreciate that “working together can make difficult times so much easier to cope with.” EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS But Nurse Alves worries that far too many people are taking measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 too lightly. “COVID-19 is everybody’s business and we are our brother’s keeper…when we protect ourselves, follow rules and guidelines, it keeps us, our families and entire community safe. The eradication of COVID-19 depends on all of us and the faster we understand this, the better for us,” she asserted. A number of persons, she noted, have embraced the misconception that they can never contract the novel coronavirus causing disease. However, the nurse reminded, “just because you are not sick doesn’t mean you cannot have the virus and you can spread it and someone whose immune system is not strong as yours can become infected and may lose their life.” For this reason, her advice to the public is “continue wearing your mask, sanitize and maintain social distancing.” DRIVEN BY AMBITION Satisfied that she has been helping to make a difference in the health sector, the ambitious Nurse Alves envisions herself moving up the nursing ranks in the coming years. Moreover, she is certainly not opposed to becoming Matron at the hospital where she works, a capacity in which she believes she can “teach others the wisdom I have gained over the years.” But for now, she remains passionate about the role she plays, although it has effectively caused her to be separated from Annalee, her nine-year-old daughter, and other family members too. “I have seen her twice in seven months,” said Nurse Alves, pointing out that this is to ensure that her daughter remains safe. In the meantime, Nurse Alves puts her trust and confidence in the Almighty and she continues to do her part to help restore health to those who are ailing. “I believe in God and I trust Him to guide my path and He will work out everything for me,” said Nurse Alves when asked how she balances her personal and professional life. While she is still adjusting to the changes that have come with COVID-19, Nurse Alves has no intention of changing the person she was created to be. “I encourage everyone I come into contact with, in some way or the other. I give freely and go all out to be there for whoever needs me.” Many of her patients can attest to this, especially Sandra Williams, a former patient who is happy to call Nurse Alves a friend. The bond between the two was forged during a nurse-patient encounter a few years ago. “I follow up on most of my patients after they are discharged…it depends on where they are from…I love my job; I love being there for people,” said Nurse Alves. For being an outstanding professional and so much more, today, with the endorsement of the Ministry of Health, we at Kaieteur News recognise Nurse Alves as a ‘Champion Health Care Provider’.
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