By Lazeena Yearwood
Marisa Joseph, a nurse attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital, was on Thursday honoured with a DAISY Foundation award for the extraordinary level of service she extended to patients seeking care at the hospital.
Nurse Joseph, of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, said she always strives her best to treat all patients with care and compassion since she too was once a patient. Joseph joined the profession in 2009, years after her mother tried to convince both her and her sister to become nurses or teachers.
“My mother has two girls and she said she wanted a nurse and a teacher…ironically my sister was the one nominated to become the nurse and me, the teacher.
“I knew that this was it for me and I often ask myself if I were to do something else, what it would be and in every lifetime, I think I am a nurse,” Joseph told the News Room.
Joseph said her patients are always hopeful that she will render care to them and this encourages her to continue in her work.
“I try to be as empathetic and be the best version of myself that I can be because I know what it is to be in the hospital and I know what it is to need to be dependent on a nurse and so I do that daily,” she said.
The mother of one is a registered nurse and she said that throughout her career, she has found motivation in the passion she has for the job and the opportunities it has granted her, including this award.
Several other nurses were nominated for the award which honours the extraordinary clinical skills and compassionate care given by nurses every day. The foundation allows nurses at the hospital to be selected by patients and their families.
The award is expected to be presented on a quarterly basis after a local committee overviews the process.
Giving congratulatory remarks to Nurse Joseph, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Robbie Rambarran said that the award programme should be an inspiration for nurses to strive to give the best care possible.
“Most times when our patients come here, they don’t come because they want to, the come at the most vulnerable times and sometimes compassion and empathy will go a very far way,” Rambarran said.
He explained that patients do not always deem a nurse or doctor as good because of the skills they have, but also because of their attitude and the care they deliver. Rambarran committed to being a partner to nurses to ensure that they have better remuneration and support services.
The foundation was formed by the family of J Patrick Barnes who died of an immune disease and the Northwell Health hospital. His family recognised the service offered by the nurses there and decided to honour both Patrick’s memory and the nurses by forming the DAISY award programme.
My hat goes out to Nurse Marisa Joseph for her sterling contribution towards patient care insomuch that she was internationally awarded. We are all.proud of you. Do keep up the good work and I hope that other nurses would be motivated to do likewise.