Previous personal care method by professional nurses is now giving way to patient care by a team of trained Patient Care Assistants.

To this end, the institution recently turned out its first batch of 24 graduates from its Patient Care Assistant Programme.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Nurses Association Hall, Charlotte Street, Georgetown on Friday, March 15.

Outlining the objectives of the programme, Director of Nursing Services, Matron Loretta Alexander told the Chronicle that it responds to the need to train more professionals who, under diverse conditions and circumstances, can deliver ‘quality care’ to patients and still find optimum satisfaction in such a task.

She said that the programme exposed them to the necessary tools and instilled in them the required attitude to perform the task, which includes:

Displaying competent care-skills

Demonstrating initiative

Prioritising and organising assigned tasks and

Working as a team.

Addressing the graduands, the Director reminded that, as the first batch, they have the distinct advantage of establishing precedence as to what quality patient care really is.

She, however, cautioned that crucial to the duties and responsibilities which now devolve on them as Patient Care Assistants, is the need for them to “provide basic nursing functions and care according to procedure.”

Going into details, she cited filling diet prescriptions; labelling specimens; taking specimens to the laboratory; communicating with team members, etc.

And commenting on the importance of the environment in which they work, she admonished them to keep it clean and tidy; to ensure that instruments, receptacles and other such equipment are kept scrupulously clean; and that patients are made to feel comfortable and calm.

Moreover, it is imperative that they maintain confidentiality in relation to patients at all times, display professional ethics, and continuously access information on current findings and practices of patient care. - (SHIRLEY THOMAS).