The Nurse/Anesthetist performs an important medical function

Mar 24, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Let me extend sincere gratitude to the editor for allowing me the space in this daily, firstly to attempt to educate the public at large and also to respond to an article published in your newspaper dated on the 12th March 2016 captioned “The Medical system has to be careful with who administer anesthesia” written by Yvonne Sam which I endorse.
Although, I am in agreement with most sections of her letter, I perceived that there are some issues which seem like a personal attack on the credibility of the Nurse Anesthetist.
Hence, Miss Yvonne Sam started off her letter by asking for forgiveness for any lack of evidence on her part.
Just to expand on my learned colleague’s previous letter to clarify any misguided or misconceived information , the Nursing Anesthesia Program was officially started in 2008. However, there were nurses who were trained in this area prior to this.
If my information is authentic, this program was facilitated by a Canadian Medical Team sponsored by the Canadian Government. In 2008 GPHC decided to embark on a more comprehensive program. This was headed and conducted by some of our locally renowned anesthesiologists. The program was of the duration of two years and six months.
It was a compact and comprehensive program that produced some of the best Nurse Anesthetists. The Nurse, he/she would have had to have at least two years Post-Grad, which meant that he or she should have had exposure in all units in the respective hospitals. One needs to note that an ICU is an integral part of the Anesthetic program. However many of our hospitals did not have an efficient functioning ICU until in 2008. As such, the nurse will have to undergo the said training for a short period of time.
I wish not to go into details of the program but suffice it to say, I am a proud Nurse Anesthetist who graduated from that very program.
We have had persons from Canada, USA and Caribbean who have been very much impressed in by our work, especially the face of how little resource and technology we have.
As it relates to how much we can do as Nurse Anesthetist, our roles are clearly defined and enshrined in the laws of Guyana and as Nurse Anesthetist we are very much aware of this and we strive to function in accordance with our laws. We are also always supervised by an anesthesiologist. There are much changes still needed, and I am confident that we will get there sooner than later.
In relation to the Nurse Anesthetist post, I proposed that this should be created with immediate effect be it the responsibility of Ministry of Public Service or General Medical Council.
If you agree that the Nurse Anesthetist plays a very pertinent role in the entire anesthetic team, then why not!
Why would you train them, label them Nurse Anesthetist and not create a given designation?
Ms Sam might have instilled some fear that your lives are at risk simply because your anesthetic care plan might have been formulated and or mainly executed by a Nurse Anesthetist.
Rather your lives are preserved by a team comprising of both Anesthetist and Surgeons. This can be attested to by our well established record. As of 2008 and even beyond there have been no confirmed deaths or injuries due to any negligence on the part of any anesthesiologist or Nurse Anesthetist.
Finally we embrace Ms Sam’s call to have us on board and to have further support programs, degrees, and masters’ etcetera, the very concept that we are actively pursuing. It would be appreciated if we can have persons like the learned Ms. Sam on board with us to help us to agitate for an advanced Nursing Care Program as a whole which can augment what we have already have, thus enhancing the preservation of lives we deliver a safer Anesthesia service.
Orin Josiah

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The Nurse/Anesthetist performs an important medical function

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