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Awards ceremony for GHA staff

The GHA School of Health Studies yesterday presented certificated to 36 employees who had completed a range of qualifications.
The employees include nursing assistants, enrolled nurses and professions allied to medicine and all were presented with a range of vocational awards.
Over the past 18 months they have worked towards these certificates, which will aid them progress in their careers.
The achievements recognised at this ceremony are externally assessed by Pearson/Edexcel, as well as by Karen Wild, Enrolled Nurse Programme of Study Senior Lecturer, Salford University UK, who provides additional independent scrutiny.
Training for enrolled nurses was re-introduced after an absence of many years.
The GHA remains committed to this programme and is now training its fourth cohort, providing an opportunity for nursing assistants to progress in their careers.
Other awards also provide openings for continuing professional development, from an inter-agency and multi-disciplinary perspective.
“Be proud of your achievements, and rightly so, because you have all successfully completed a wide and challenging course of training, but never be satisfied,” said Health Minister Neil Costa at the awards ceremony.
“Go home at the end of each day, maybe physically shattered, but knowing that you have gone the extra mile, that you have left your skin in the game, that you listened attentively, that you cared for someone, that you held their hand, that you improved their wellbeing.”
He added: “Learn from your experiences and draw strength from your colleagues, your mentors, your friends, your families and, most importantly, from yourself.”
“Your families, your friends, the GHA, the Government, we are proud of you. I am immensely proud of you and wish you all the success and rewards of your chosen professions, from my heart, well done.”
Employees from across the GHA including St Bernards, the Primary Care Centre, Ocean Views Mental Health Facility, Social Services, Care Agency and the Ambulance Service received awards yesterday.
“This is the first time we have ever had this huge number of people receiving vocational qualifications,” said School Principal Professor Ian Peate.
“We are absolutely delighted because these people who have received these awards have been given an opportunity to progress on the career ladder. So if they wanted to move from being a health care assistant to enrolled nurse and then a staff nurse they can do that.”
“The government has created a careers ladder for them so it has given them more opportunities. But it is not just these people receiving awards we should be celebrating we should be celebrating all the people assessing them, all those people on the wards who have been helping them.”
Mrs Wild who is an external assessor of the courses undertaken by GHA employees attended the ceremony and said she was pleased with the work produced.
“I am pleased with the standard of work the pupil nurses have produced, the commitment to the profession as they are entered onto the professional register and the compassion and caring attitudes towards patient care,” Mrs Wild said.

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