In part one, we examined the tremendous contributions of Nurse Emily Cumberbatch to the nursing profession. In Part 2, we chronicle the milestones of Nurse Audrey Corry, who has made exceptional strides in developing the profession in Guyana and on whose shoulders many professional nurses stand today.
“I always wanted to be a Nurse since my high school years. I joined the John F. Kennedy Library [which was situated on Main Street just where GPL’s office is today] and devoured books on nursing and midwifery, which were in abundant supply at that library,” Nurse Audrey Corry fondly recalled. An outstanding public health practitioner who dedicated 50 years of her life to the nursing profession, Nurse Corry made a remarkable contribution to the development of nursing in Guyana.
Genesis of the Nursing Career
Born in the East Coast Village of Buxton, and a St. Joseph High School alumni, Audrey Baird (maiden name) passionately recalled eying the nursing profession as she prepared to write the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Examinations in 1969. She dreamed of immediately commencing training for her nursing career after the examinations. However, to fulfill the age requirement of 18 years, she dedicated an additional year to pursuing additional GCE subjects at the County High School in Buxton. Nurse Corry firmly believes she was made for nursing, as she never had an interest in any other profession. On February 1, 1971, she officially started training and began her journey as a nursing professional.
Nurse/Midwife to Administrator
In 1974, after completing her professional training at the Georgetown School of Nursing, Nurse Corry immediately started Midwifery training. As a Registered Nurse/Midwife, her initial post was as a Scrub Nurse with the then Georgetown Public Hospital surgical (operating) theatre. She spent three years in this role, witnessed numerous surgical procedures, and became proficient in setting up the operating room and supporting surgeons during surgery. Nurse Corry subsequently managed the Operating Theatre of the then Suddie [Regional] Hospital for 18 months and, at age twenty-six, became the Nurse-in-Charge of the then Lethem [Regional] Hospital.
Expressing a deep sense of satisfaction, Nurse Corry shared that she took her profession seriously and always endeavoured to excel. She also believes that the opportunity to pursue advanced studies in Nursing Administration overseas played a crucial role in her career success. In 1980, she was selected to participate in a one-year Nursing Administration fellowship programme at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. “I spent one year there and returned home to a position at the Ministry of Health, with responsibility for developing policies for nursing and health care,” she disclosed. In 1984, after a four-year tenure at the Ministry of Health, Nurse Corry returned to the fields as Nurse in Charge of the Mabaruma District Hospital, a 60-bed facility that offered in and outpatient services to residents of Region One Moruca, Matarkai, and Mabaruma Sub-Districts.
During her terms at the Suddie and Lethem Regional Hospitals and the Mabaruma District Hospital, her responsibilities included health outreach activities and visits to remote areas, including villages along the Pomeroon and Moruca Rivers and North and Deep South Rupununi. Despite the challenges, Nurse Corry and her team remained motivated and passionate about delivering healthcare including maternal and child health services such as immunization, to residents of remote areas. Reflecting on those years, Elder Corry conceded, “My most enjoyable moments came from working in rural areas, especially at the District Hospitals. It gave me a sense of responsibility and of freedom to be the best that I can be as a Nurse.”
The knowledge, technical, and professional experience gained from working in various regions and communities of Guyana served Nurse Corry well when she returned to the Georgetown Public Hospital in 1993. She served with distinction at the supervisory level in the Male and Female Medical Wards, Surgical Wards, and the Emergency and Critical Care Unit, with the support of some 90 Nurses. According to Nurse Corry, “Together with managers of various units, we rolled out a number of in-service training programmes for Nurses and auxiliary staff over the years, leading up to the year 2000 when I was appointed Assistant Director of Nursing Services.”
A public health practitioner distinguished by excellence, in addition to experience, Nurse Corry consistently honed her expertise through several local and overseas-based professional development programmes. Notably, she benefitted from a Hospital Administration fellowship in Israel; successfully completed a Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica; represented Guyanese Nurses at the Caribbean Nurses Organisation Conference in Trinidad and Tobago, and the Nurses Association of America Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America; participated in a Pan American Health Organisation, Patient Safety Workshop, in Costa Rica; and served as Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Guyana Nurses Association.
A Call to Serve
Contemplating the five decades of her sterling service as a healthcare professional, Nurse Corry said she never complained about her duties or postings, as she enjoyed caring for and supporting patients to recover. Commendably, she also developed a passion for teaching and mentoring younger nurses and those entering the profession. “The greatest challenge was getting Nurses to see the profession as a call to serve. Some entered the profession, seeing it as a job which they needed, but eventually grew to love it and gave their best,” she affirmed. For her, one of the greatest tools to encourage existing and potential Nurses is sharing personal stories and experiences, particularly about the challenges and rewards of the nursing career.
Looking back at some of the challenges, Nurse Corry indicated there were many close encounters with danger, including extended periods spent on rivers, sometimes traveling late at night to remote areas, days and nights in malaria-prone areas, delivering babies under risky conditions, and being stranded and drifting for hours on the Barima River, Region One in the cold and pitch black night, after a boat engine failure. During these harrowing experiences, Nurse Corry’s faith was strengthened as she attributed the protection and survival of herself, her colleagues, and her patients entirely to God. She firmly believes the nursing profession is sacrificial as Nurses forgo much needed rest and sleep, work night and day, weekends and holidays, at home and in the fields, and at times not seeing their homes and families for extended periods.
Transitions in the Nursing Profession
Over the years, as the nursing profession developed, there were significant changes that either enhanced or resulted in challenges. During the 80s-90s, an essential component of nursing training was being posted for at least one year to a remote hospital or healthcare facility. According to Nurse Corry, this critical aspect of training contributed to better, more confident, well-rounded nurses. She explained, “Decision-making had to be quick and well-informed because lives were at stake. In the city, nurses had the option of referring patients to doctors, but in remote areas, they were compelled to find a way to address patient concerns in a timely manner and save lives.” Nurses from the coast are no longer posted to remote locations to work. Conversely, student nurses from remote regions travel to the coast to be trained and are then required to return to their remote areas and serve. Often many nurses remain on the coast, creating a bottleneck and unavailability of nurses to deliver health care services, particularly in remote areas.
On the other hand, technological developments immensely improved many aspects of the nursing field, including administration, physical examinations, assessment, diagnoses, administering medication, patient care and support, health promotion, and education. Considering her job back then to recent years, Nurse Corry outlined how technology helped her, “Just think of something as basic as writing reports, which takes up a lot of time and requires details and accuracy. By simply entering the data on each patient, especially those in intensive and critical care, the computer generates reminders of, for example, medication time, dose, and frequency.” Additionally, instead of perusing old dusty records and preparing manual schedules, advanced technology resulted in patient information being easily accessible, and considerably improved planning and staffing scheduling for nursing services, respectively.
A Personal Desire for the Nursing Profession
After officially retiring in 2015, Nurse Corry immediately returned to the public service and served for five years as a Nursing Mentor until December 2020. She is confident that she made an outstanding and enduring contribution to the nursing profession. Pondering on what she would change about the nursing profession if given an opportunity she said, “I would like to see nurse training improve. I believe nurse training should be in the hands of qualified and dedicated trainers who are not employed by the state. The state’s role should center on establishing and enforcing standards and recruiting, placing, and supporting students. Nursing training should be facilitated by an independent individual and or company, with the Nursing Council setting and marking the examinations.” According to Nurse Corry, the Caribbean Examinations Council plays an integral role in nursing examinations in some Caribbean countries.
Marriage and Family Life
Nurse Corry shares forty-one years of marital bliss with her husband Neil Corry, whom she met during her post at the Lethem [Regional] Hospital and married two years later in 1982. Though she surrendered her life to Jesus during her teenage years, she conceded it was only while preparing for marriage that she fully committed her life to God by obeying God’s Word and embracing the power of God in her life and the life of her family. “My husband and I both committed to the Lord and experienced His grace and power in awesome ways. We spent much time in the vast interior of Guyana, me as a Nurse and he as a Malaria Worker, examining blood slides for the parasite and treating patients who contracted malaria. However, he soon left the job to pursue his passion – farming,” she recalled. Nurse Corry divulged that her husband is her best friend and greatest supporter.
A long-standing member of First Assembly of God Wortmanville and its leadership, in 2023, Deaconess Corry was appointed to serve as an Elder in the fellowship. Together with her husband, Minister Corry, they are responsible for coordinating the ministry of the Marriage and Family Life Department, including marriage counselling and seminars, the dedication of babies, and the observance of Family Month annually during the month of March, etc.
Nurse Audrey Corry is a highly trained Administrator of Nursing Services and remains passionate and ready to support the appropriate care, treatment, and recovery of those who need health care. Currently, she serves privately as an advisor and is a beacon of excellence in her professional and church circles, offering a wealth of knowledge and experience.
