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Nursing – an age-old but very satisfying profession
Nurse Adams-Thompson attends to a mother and her baby
By Sharmain Cornette
It was her undying passion to care for people compounded by a constricted job market that drove her into the age-old, noble profession of nursing. Twenty-eight years later, Audrey Adams-Thompson is still a practicing nurse attached to the Dorothy Bailey Municipal Health Centre located on South Road in the city.
At the age of 54, she has seen many of the children she helped bring into the world, through delivery, grow up and transform into productive adults right before her eyes. The mother of a 30-year-old son herself, Adams-Thompson related her convictions that being a nursing is the most satisfying career path that she could have ever ventured into.
But being a nurse was never her initial career choice. According to the dedicated nurse, she had in fact graduated from the New Amsterdam Technical Institute with a City and Guild Certificate in Radio, Television and Electronics servicing. The job market was not very friendly back in her younger days, thus she was channelled into the nursing field by her parents. She never looked back.
According to the Berbice born and bred Adams-Thompson, her career in nursing got kick started at the New Amsterdam School of Nursing in October 1982. She subsequently left the confines of her neighbourhood in December 1989 to take up an out-station posting at the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three.
Adams-Thompson would stay there for just over a year as a staff nurse/midwife. She later requested and was afforded a transfer from that facility and was placed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. However, she opted to venture over to the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) and commenced her appointment there in May 1993.
And it was while a part of the municipality, that Adams-Thompson was trained as a Public Health Nurse and was soon after tasked with functioning as a Health Visitor in a public health setting. In the municipality her mandate changed completely as she was no longer engaged in merely bedside nursing but was rather charged with promoting health in the clinic setting.
“It is really a great pleasure when you can see the clinic mother from pregnancy and onwards.”
In fact, according to Adams-Thompson, it has been the earnest anticipation of Councillor responsible for the municipal health centre, Patricia Chase-Green, that the maternal and child welfare section of the municipality could been transformed into a complex where the mothers could be seen from the antenatal stage and care is continued.
“This job is more than rewarding. I have a wealth of experience; I have no regrets especially being in this municipal setting for some 17 years. When you could see your children grow and the mothers come through safely with their pregnancy and then deliver and return…you see the baby grow and it is really awesome.”
In the municipal setting, she revealed that there is an undeniable closeness with mothers and fathers alike, the latter for some refreshing reason seeming more inclined to give support. “It is always a joy dealing with the fathers when they come to clinic. It is surprising how much they (fathers) are willing to learn…”
And given the family oriented nature of the municipal health centre, Adams-Thompson said that it is considered a family health clinic rather than a mere focus on maternal and child health.
Even as the age of retirement draws close, the dedicated nurse has assured that she has no intention of ending her nursing career even if her existence takes her to greener pastures.
As nurses’ week is observed, Adams-Thompson is very reflective on the satisfying path that nursing has taken her over the years and vows to share her experiences with whoever is desirous of hearing.
Nurses’ week is being observed under the theme, ‘Quality, serving communities: Nurses leading chronic care’ and has so far entailed a number of countrywide activities at both public and private health facilities.
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