Cayhill-Several critical care nurses from the Emergency Room department, the Intensive Care Unit and Anesthesia department received certificates for having completed the basic training of the pacemaker technician course.
Over a period of three days, the basic level of the training was facilitated by visiting cardiologist Dr. Meredith Sedney and representative of the pacemaker brand Medtronic, Mrs. Cynthia Hassett.
Since 2011, St. Maarten Medical Center has done 7 pacemaker implantations. Monitoring the functioning of these implantations and those of patients who have had implantations from other hospitals are done by visiting Cardiologists on a regular basis at SMMC. In order to continue providing quality care, it is important for SMMC to have technicians who can check the functioning of a patient’s pacemaker. The pacemakers also need to be reprogrammed and adjusted to meet the patient’s needs.
At this stage of a three level pacemaker technician course, the nurses have a basic theoretical knowledge of pacemaker monitoring and reprogramming. They have already begun the second and practical part of the course which, once complete, will enable them to check the functioning of a patient’s pacemaker and the performing of the leads. At a more advanced and final level, they will be able to, in case of emergencies, reprogram the pacemaker externally.
With the continued education of staff, SMMC is already preparing for the expansion of its Cardiology services that can be better provided with the expansion of the hospital. The training of staff to work along with a cardiologist to provide care for patients with pacemakers is a much needed improvement. This will prevent patients from having to travel abroad to check the functioning of the pace maker.
SMMC is consistently working towards providing quality care to the community of St. Maarten at their convenience of being cared for ‘at home’.
In photo: Front row, Meandra Hazel, Kendra Caines, Magda Dawse, Florderosie Zurita;
Back row, Interim Financial Director, Simone Arthur, Bert Weewee, Rafael Antoine, Rajen Dihal, Manager Patient Care/Education, Dr. Meredith Sedney.