The staff of the Karen Hospital Theatre Department welcomed
me warmly in their blue scrubs and crock shoes. They are a strict department.
They denied me access into their rooms without having first removed my worn out
shoes and my already dusty clothes as it was 3pm in the afternoon. With a big
smile, clean scrubs, crock shoes and a hair net, I was finally allowed to walk
into the department to learn what makes them the award winning department.
Leadership
The theatre department was named the Department of the year
with its 21 member team led by Cardiac Nurse Julia Kibe. The department plays
host to four major surgery facilities that have allowed even the least hopeful,
to wake up and walk again. The department that displays utmost cleanliness and
perfection has much to tell of their day to day activities.
“We are 9 nurses and 12 technicians in this department. My
team is small but each member is self driven to achieve the best results. The
patients might not remember us but we deliver not for recognition but for God
and the life of man. It is easy to lead this team, it has a strong foundation
of team work and passion,” Team Leader Julia said
The team plays host and servant to the four major units/ operating
rooms
·
The Theatre
·
The Catheterization lab
·
Endoscopy
·
The CSSD-Central Sterile Supply Department
“I am a hand on person; it is hard to find me sitting in an
office, I like to lead from the front. I love to lead this team; they have high
spirits and bond well. Teaching them, with my over 20 year’s experience, is the
best way to give back to this industry “She added.
Theatre
Environment…
The team has been known to display the best customer service
in the hospital. Wesley Lemanyang is one of the students attached to the
hospital, when interviewed he stated that, he would love to enhance his studies
in Theatre nursing. He claims that after his experience in the department he
learnt the most, as compared to other departments, and would love to come back
after his graduation to further grow with the department.
Ms Julia attributes this kind of behavior to having a
purposeful objective for the department,” There is great satisfaction from
seeing a patient who was immobile, down and almost lifeless, get up and live
life again. It fills us, it completes us.”
The equipment found in the theatre labs of the Karen
Hospital are among the best in the industry. According to one of the team
members, they have state of the art equipment like the microscope value 500
which is the latest in the market, high end monitors and aesthetic machines.
“We are not expensive
at all, for the kind of service we give, it is worth it. We have a great
nursing team that values each and every patient, which is the reason why the organization
chooses to reward us; we do the job because we love to serve the people,” said another Team Member.
Working in the
department…
The department that has a small room for the staff to have
their breaks also holds one of the coldest rooms in the hospital, the catheterization
laboratory (Cath Lab), where patients are made well without having to undergo
an open surgery.
Cath lab In-charge Samuel Kingori says that working in the
theatre department has been one of his greatest life achievements. The
opportunity to work with the various experienced doctors has allowed him to
gain diverse skills and enhance his knowledge.
“I love this job. Patients come in at life threatening
levels and in risky positions, and I am given a chance to be part of the team
that helps save them. It feels great,” added Nurse Kingori.
Nurse Julia, a cardiac theatre nurse, takes her time to
teach other younger nurses on the impact of cardiac surgery. Having worked in
various hospitals and received her cardiac nursing experience from India, the
theatre department team leader states that the department is a place of work
and not a single person goes without doing something and learning.
“Sometimes the doctors get frustrated in the theatre room,
they may make us uncomfortable, but we keep calm and hold our cool and continue
doing the job. Operating on a person is not easy therefore we understand their
frustrations. Every patient who comes through our doors is a high risk patient;
we never take anything for granted. The surgical team most at times includes
the doctors, the anesthesiologist and the theatre nurses. W e pray for all the
patients that pass through our doors,” Nurse Julia said.
The team that sacrifices a lot for the success of the
department has had some nurses on their feet for surgeries that lasted over 10
hours, Nurse Julia has been in an operating room for 12 hours with a heart
patient, “ We stand until the surgery is over and successful. No eating, no
resting, no washroom breaks just standing until the patient is well again.”
The biggest challenge according to the team members is the
pain that comes with losing a patient. They say that they never want to feel the
dissatisfaction that comes from failing in the operating room. The team also
recognized the good work that comes from treating Heart-to-Heart Foundation beneficiaries,
who are mostly children.
“We tend to be more emotional when a child is involved,
because we want them to live their full life. We however have to put our
feelings aside and attend to them. We love to help save their lives. We do our
best for every patient.” Nurse Julia Concluded.
The department is on the first floor of the Karen Hospital
Main Branch, and is open 24 hours for any patient, that will need their
services.
