Nursing Assistants must adopt a ‘sympathetic’ attitude towards patients – Health Minister

Trainee nursing assistants are being encouraged to provide care to patients with a professional and sympathetic attitude.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, who made the call recently at the launch of a Nursing Assistants’ programme in Region Two, said they must also remember why they pursued the profession. 

These trainees, once certified, will provide direct care to patients in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as home care. They are a vital part of a larger care team that helps patients with basic needs including eating, bathing, grooming, mobility and more.

“If we adopt that attitude, then you would see that things would change and we’ll have a lot of people who would want to come to the institute because they recognise that when they come to the institution, they’re getting somebody who can care for them and that is very important,” Dr Anthony said.

The public healthcare system has been criticised by the public concerning how care is provided.

However, Dr Anthony believes this perception can change if professionals adopt the proper attitude.

As a result, he noted that the government through the Health Ministry is working aggressively to improve the overall healthcare system in Guyana.

“We can have the best improvements in the health care system but if you got one person who got the wrong attitude… then it turns everything else that the whole team has been doing,” the health minister expressed.