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Nurse/midwife reflects on stunning 44-year career

Aug 12, 2008 News

By Yannason Duncan

It was her late mother Vivian’s earnest desire that her second daughter, Lucille Stephney, become a nurse; and to help make that desire become a reality, Vivian used the only resource she knew best — simple and positive words of encouragement.

But the catalyst was one visit that Lucille took to the Georgetown Public Hospital to see her sister who had given birth.

Today, with a record of service amounting to an outstanding 44 years as a nurse\midwife, 76-year-old Lucille Stephney, of Reliance Village, Essequibo Coast, says she can look back on her career and feel satisfied.

She says that she performed countless deliveries. Many have been the cases of the children whom she herself had delivered when those same babies would have attained motherhood.

Still passionate about her profession, Nurse Stephney, as she is called, says she would have liked to continue performing midwifery, but arthritis and hypertension have put paid to any hopes.

The year was 1958, and Lucille was 26 years old. After completing her primary education at the Anna Regina Primary School, and assisting her mother with the household chores, Lucille was astounded at the massive transformation that took place rapidly in herself.

In an interview, Lucille said that after that visit to the hospital, she was encouraged by a nurse to participate in a three-year Red Cross training programme which was held at Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

Upon the successful completion of that course, Nurse Stephney was awarded a home nursing certificate, which she capitalized on and simultaneously pursued a career in nursing\midwifery. She started at the Georgetown Hospital.

Basking in double-successes after the completion of both her first and second years as a student nurse at the Georgetown Hospital, Lucille recalled simultaneously being appointed head of the post-natal ward for a period.

One year was spent at the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, with another eight months in Mahaicony Creek.
Working at both the Dartmouth and Anna Regina Health Centres, Lucille recalled, were pivotal periods in her working life; years which today still unleash awesome memories.

As a nurse\midwife, Stephney says, she enjoyed most visits made to Kabakaburi, Wakapao, and schools along the Pomeroon River. Attending anti-natal clinics and accompanying the immunization crew which made house-to-house visits were also other favourite activities.

This single-parent says that, although her life as a nurse \midwife was a hectic one, she still took the time to rear pigs and sheep.

Nurse Stephney says that although it has been quite some time now since she has performed any delivery, it is not unusual for her to still receive many offers, all of which she turns down.

And on occasions, when patients approach her at home, she is all too willing to give advice, and sometimes, she says, she would even examine the patient.

When asked about the oldest patient that she has delivered, Nurse Stephney says it was a woman in her forties. Her youngest was a teenager. Her advice to pregnant mothers is to eat healthy.

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