Six new registered nurses join profession |19 December 2020

The six nurses in a souvenir photograph

A total of six new registered nurses officially joined the nursing profession yesterday when they were presented with their certificates and nurse pin.

Taisha Morgan, Ariana Charles, Selbiane Chang-Thiou, Julie Barbe, Marie-Michelle Rachel and Maria Malvina took their nursing pledge in a ceremony held at the Sheikh Khalifa Diagnostic Centre.

Present at the brief ceremony were current and past members of the Seychelles Nurses and Midwives Council.

Eveline Moumou, chairperson of the Seychelles Nurses and Midwives Council, addressed those present in her keynote speech.

She noted the importance of nurses throughout history, from Florence Nightingale who devised the basic strategies of hand-washing and social distancing to stave off infections some 165 years ago up to now as nurses are at the forefront to combat Covid-19.

“You are joining the nursing profession at a time of great challenges, opportunities and changes which has been magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Ms Moumou said.

“This year has been designated by both WHO and International Council of Nurses as the year to recgonise and value the critical contribution nurses and midwives make to global health. No one could have predicted how fitting this declaration would be in the light of Covid-19.”

If the pandemic had taught governments anything, it would be the importance of continuous support and investments in the nursing profession, continued Ms Moumou.

“It can never be so obvious that Covid-19 is reinforcing the need for investment in nursing jobs, education and leadership,” she added.

She parted with words of encouragement to the newly registered nurses, urging them to seize every opportunity to pursue their personal development, improve on their practice and provide safe nursing care.

Taisha Morgan and Ariana Charles, both 20 years old, stated that they were proud of their achievements.

“I am really proud because, to be honest, it has not been an easy three years at the National Institute of Health and Social Studies (NIHSS),” Ms Morgan stated.

“The journey had not been smooth-sailing, there were a lot of ups and downs and there were a lot of challenges so I am just glad that we were able to make it through,” Ms Charles added.

The young nurses explained that nursing has not been their first choice but they learned to appreciate and love the profession as they developed and honed their skills.

“There remain a lot of challenges ahead, especially with Covid-19 which has brought about a number of limitations. But we will try our best, follow the safety procedures and I think that we will be fine as long as we abide by the regulations,” said Ms Morgan.

Elsie Pointe

Photos: Anel Robert