By Kurt Campbell
Kurt@newsroom.gy
Robbie Rambarran in his capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of the country’s main health institution, the Georgetown Public Hospital, and as a long-serving staff member, has made a passionate appeal for members of the public and medical professionals alike to end the disrespect against nurses.
The GPHC CEO said he personally has the utmost respect for nurses but believes a general culture of disrespect has been allowed to fester.
“They [nurses] are like God sent. Most times they are here when we are brought into this world and most times they are there when you are leaving this world.”
Rambarran said people tend to forget that nurses are humans and they expect more of them than they can give sometimes.
“But we must respect nurses. I don’t see people respecting nurses anymore and I have often times said that nurses too have to command the respect they once had,” Rambarran told the News Room during a recent interview to commemorate International Nurses Week.
But the respect must not only come from the public. He said it must also come from doctors and others who work in healthcare delivery.
“I joined this institution from an early age, just out of high school, and there is no way we could have descended on a ward or operating theatre without first informing the nurse in charge.
“No doctor could have gone on a ward and decided that he/she will do rounding without first informing the nurse in charge.
“That don’t happen anymore… I don’t see that mutual respect,” he added.
But there is another dimension to his reasoning. He believes that in some instances nurses are inviting the lack of respect.
“I have told them that they need to demand and command the respect nurses require.
The GPHC CEO said for a long time, nursing lacked the mentorship and leadership it required but that has changed in recent years and with that he expects a change in behaviour.
“People come and expect they can speak to nurses how they feel and they will react, they shouldn’t but they are human, that’s how it happens.
“There is a lot of work to get done and I have all confidence with the ongoing engagements and leadership and passion from managers that we will achieve it.”
To make his point, Rambarran shared one of his most memorable encounters in this regard.
“I remember this nurse was responsible for the main operating theatre and this was a very senior doctor was going in the operating theatre and the nurse told him to leave.
“I wish we could do that these days… that made me realise that nurses run a hospital and we should return the respect to them,” he said.
