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Heartline Magazine July - September 2005
Training for staff nurses
In keeping with its policy of continuing education for
staff, The Heart Foundation of Barbados this year arranged for two registered
general nurses in the CDP&R programme, Hazel Fergusson and Kim Clarke-Grant to
receive the benefit of specialized overseas training.
Hazel Fergusson attended a Rehab Nursing Course in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA over the period 25th September to 1st October
2005. Nursing Enrichment Consultants Inc conducted this course, which was
attended by just two other nurses from the USA.
While in Harrisburg, Mrs. Fergusson stayed in the Courtyard
Marriott on Eisenhower Boulevard, where the first two sessions of the course
were held. The other sessions took place at the Ortenzio Heart Centre, Holy
Spirit Hospital and Pinnacle Health Polyclinic Campus.
The daily routine involved morning sessions, which included
lectures and observation, break for lunch and more lectures. Mrs. Fergusson
noted: “One afternoon was spent on a practice exercise session and in another we
participated in a session of Relaxation Therapy.”
“What was interesting” she said, “was that both of the units
were comparable in size and equipment to the CDP& R in Barbados, and I felt
quite satisfied that our programme does not need much to reach their standard.”
She continued: “It was not a week of work only, however. On
Saturday our instructor Pat Comoss took me into Lancaster County, the home of an
Amish settlement. I had an opportunity to see these “plain people” who live a
simple and traditional lifestyle at work on their farms, selling their wares by
the roadside and traveling on their buggies along the long winding roads between
their farms. I also sampled their food.”
Earlier in the year, Kim Clarke-Grant participated in the
20th Caribbean Cardiology Conference, which was held at Key Biscayne, Florida
from Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd July
The conference was designed to review current understanding
of and to update the clinician and allied professionals on important new
advances in the management of diseases of the heart and cardiovascular systems.
It was primarily designed for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and other cardiac
care professionals. Allied health care personnel including nurses and
technologists involved in the care of patients with the diseases of the heart
were also meant to benefit from the presentations.
Lectures were given daily by leading physicians and
professionals on a range of topics relating to cardiac care, and there were also
demonstrations and several periods of discussion where participants were able to
receive and share information on heart care.
Stating that she benefited tremendously from the wide
coverage of the conference, Mrs. Clarke-Grant said that participants were able
to identify and review common problems related to cardiovascular disease as well
as describe the indication for innovative treatments for cardiac disease.
“We were also able to appraise the benefits and limitations
of new therapeutic techniques for cardiac surgery, including minimally invasive
surgery for atrial fibrillation and Robotic surgery and apply the information
gained to everyday clinical practice including referrals” said Mrs.
Clarke-Grant.
The Conference concluded with a closing ceremony and
certificates for 24 hrs of continuing education were presented to the nurses who
had attended every day of the conference.
Both Hazel Fergusson and Kim Clarke-Grant thanked the
management of the Heart Foundation of Barbados for affording them the
opportunity to enhance their knowledge, which, they assert, will redound to the
benefit of the Heart Foundation.
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