By Nordia Henry, Staff Reporter
BEING A nurse for 24 years is no 'monkey business', it's a career which requires dedication, service and making heart-rending decisions - decisions that could tear you apart if you are not strong.
Despite these decisions, Nurse of the Year Shirley Hibbert has devoted half of her life to the nursing profession in which she has garnered much pride.
"I grew up in the era in which police, teachers and nurses were looked upon with high esteem and somehow I decided in my mind that I wanted to become a nurse and it stuck with me. I did youth service after leaving high school and my job entailed working in the hospital arena which further boosted my decision," said Hibbert, Matron of the National Chest Hospital on Barbican Road, St. Andrew.
LIVING HER DREAM
Hibbert grew up in the volatile area of Olympic Gardens in west central St. Andrew and attended Wolmer's High School for Girls. She later graduated from the Kingston School of Nursing.
Matron Hibbert says her three greatest challenges are working with people, working with limited resources and parting with a patient.
"Working with people is my biggest challenge because you have to get people to give of their best and maintain excellence. In this field, you have to give of your best at all times. Even though we have limited resources, the work has to go on but we have received assistance from many Government and non-governmental organisations. After you have cared for someone, it is hard to see that person go but I have to accept the fact that the Lord needs this one even though I did all I could to save him/her," said the trim, vivacious woman.
HEARTACHE
Hibbert's most heartbreaking decision in her nursing career was working with premature babies with heart conditions and watching them die. As Matron of National Chest Hospital, she does mainly administrative work and so hardly gets the time to be at a patient's bedside. "I really miss being at the bedside," said Hibbert.
Totally overwhelmed, delighted and humbled connotes how Hibbert felt when she was presented with the '2003 Nurse of the Year' trophy on the night of July 19, during the Nurses' Association of Jamaica/Lasco-sponsored annual awards ceremony held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, New Kingston. As Nurse of the Year she has undertaken many projects, one of them is an outreach centre recently established by the NAJ. The outreach centre was launched during Nurses Week this year on July 17.
The centre located at 4 Trevennion Park Road at the NAJ Secretariat focuses on addressing the problems of adolescents and pre-adolescents.
Nurses are seen as dedicated people and this is evident in Shirley Hibbert's decision to remain in Jamaica with her family and give some service to her country. In addition to being a dedicated nurse, she is wife and mother to three children Nigel who is 20; Ryan, 16 and 13-year-old Shanique. She has been married to Barrington Hibbert of the Planning Institute of Jamaica for 23 years.
The 43-year-old nurse is active in her church, Bethel Gospel Assembly, located at 25 St. Joseph Road, in the Waltham Park area of Kingston.
She also enjoys listening to gospel and oldies music but still finds time to read mystery novels. Her favourite author is Agatha Christie.
