Nurses attached to the ICU unit at the Victoria Hospital (VH) participated in a two-day medical enhancement training session that forms part of the commissioning programme of the Owen King EU Hospital.
The training was conducted by medical personnel from the University Hospital in Martinique.
Three departments of the Victoria Hospital have transitioned to the Owen King EU Hospital—the renal, physiotherapy and outpatient units. Other departments and units are gearing up to do the same.
From April 19 to 20, nurses from the ICU Unit at VH were engaged in medical enhancement training lead by Dr. Dabor Resiere of the University Hospital in Martinique. Nursing Director at VH, Ruth Regis-Adesanya explained the thrust behind this training.
“In the transitioning efforts to the Owen King EU Hospital it was recognized that apart from the construction and the physical bits, there was need for training so that the standard of care that is delivered would be in sync with what in within this new facility,” she said. “So the Government of Saint Lucia made an arrangement with the University Hospital of Martinique for training in a number of areas and intensive care nursing was one of these areas.”
Two previous components of ICU training were conducted at the University Hospital in 2016 and 2017 with up to 12 nurses benefiting from intensive ICU training.
“Today we have the third component of that training,” Nurse Regis continued. “This has been an ongoing programme that ensures the development of our staff and the capacity-building needed to be able to function more effectively within the new setting.”
ICU Consultant at University Hospital in Martinique, Dr. Dabor Resiere, said for the past ten years his hospital has been engaged in a programme of medical cooperation with Saint Lucia and Dominica to offer the best in medical care in the area of ICU. He was indeed pleased with the level of training of the Saint Lucian nurses.
“Our nurses here have a good level of education and what we try to do is to bring new innovations in ICU training, with more new procedures in order to harmonize the management of our patients. Whether you’re in Martinique or Saint Lucia, we want to harmonize the management of our patients.”
Ward Manger in the Intensive Care Unit at VH, Nurse Natalie Preville, has benefited from the previous training opportunities in Martinique. She had high praise for the level of training received which she is convinced will benefit clients of the ICU.
Dr. Resiere and University Hospital in Martinique also came in for high praise for the level of cooperation and training provided to both nurses and physicians, and for assisting with setting up the required systems at the EU Hospital.
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