Nurses being trained in neo-natal care by WPP medical personnel

Hundreds of local physicians and nurses are receiving much needed training in neo-natal care, thanks to nurse Sue Ameiss of the World Pediatric Project (WPP).

“Nurse Sue,”a physician’s assistant, is here in St Vincent and­­­­ the Grenadines and a one-month visit, attached to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU),{{more}} in a bid to strengthen the department’s ability to care for premature infants.

While here, Sue will visit clinics around the islands, training the health practitioners in temperature regulation, respiratory support and Pediatric Emergency Assessment Resuscitation and Stabilization (PEARS), among other skills.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this and for the opportunity to bring the nursery up higher in its calibre.

“It’s been good; it’s challenging. I’m not used to not having everything I need right at my fingertips, but learning the steps is great.

“Premature babies have a lot of issues breathing and this (training) can help support them until they can grow big enough to breathe on their own,” Sue said.

With more than 30 years of experience in pediatric care to her advantage, nurse Sue said that teaming up with the WPP has helped her to reach out to others and share her knowledge and skills with them, with the objective of helping to save lives and making newborn babies more comfortable during this fragile stage of their lives.

Incidentally, her first stint with the WPP was in January this year, when she was asked to assist with training right here in SVG.

“Dr Robert Fleming asked me for assistance with this, and asked me in November last year if I could go to St Vincent. I was like ‘sure, where am I going?’

“Of course, I had to Google St Vincent, but now that I came, the big news is, since I came in January I know someone who goes to my church who is from St Vincent, and your Vincy football team will be playing the US national team in my home state of Missouri on November 13.

“I am looking forward to coming down here whenever they need me to.”

Sue would be joined by more WPP physicians and specialists this week, as a scoliosis mission arrives here tomorrow, to carry out one week of assessments and surgeries.

The team consists of Dr Chad Aarons, Dr Mike Mike Estes, Dr Kerry Loveland, Kelly Haase, Erin Rose, Chris Pinney, Miranda Flood and Mary Walton.