HSA honours Nurse Hessing’s remarkable half-century milestone

With a career spanning 50 years at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA), Nurse Elba Hessing has played a significant role in caring for many and has seen first-hand the transformation in healthcare at the George Town Hospital and in the Cayman Islands. 

Since beginning her journey at the HSA on March 19, 1974, Nurse Hessing has embodied unparalleled dedication, connecting with colleagues and patients to achieve optimal outcomes.

Her career as a Nurse Anaesthetist began in 1985 following the successful completion of a three-year training programme at the School of Nurse Anaesthesia in Kingston, Jamaica, after being awarded a Pan American Health Organisation scholarship. Upon her return to the Cayman Islands, she became the first trained Nurse Anaesthetist.

Her commitment to serving others and advancing the profession led to her making a pledge to place the welfare of her patients as a priority, noting that, “my greatest satisfaction while working on the wards was to nurse patients, see them recover and hear them say, ‘thank you, nurse’, before leaving the hospital.”

Encouraged by the support of her colleagues Nurse Hessing expressed, “I am truly grateful to all the wonderful people for their kind professional encouragement and support over those years, without which none of this would have been possible. May God continue to bless us as we continue to serve.”

Over the years, the highly skilled veteran nurse has played a crucial role in championing HSA’s core values of integrity, responsibility, excellence, respect, and caring, highlighting a combination of factors that has led to her remaining dedicated.

“My patients have been the main driving force behind the longevity of my career. I would elevate and maintain the standards of the nursing profession by offering excellent quality care irrespective of the circumstances. Through the decades, things were made possible with great teamwork, modern technology, working hard and praying incessantly as God does care, to maintain that glowing flame of Florence Nightingale’s lamp,” she noted.

CEO at the HSA, Ms. Lizzette Yearwood, in observing the contribution of Nurse Hessing stated, “we are appreciative of Nurse Hessing’s contribution and dedication to the HSA for 50 years. We are proud to have her as a standard bearer of care and we thank her for the many years of service to the HSA and the community.

She continued: “Half of a decade in service, not only to an institution but to a nation is significant and is indicative of her commitment to offer exemplary care and foster an environment that is productive and ideal for overall wellness”.

HSA’s Medical Director Dr. Delroy Jefferson, in thanking Nurse Hessing for her many years of services noted that, “she is the quintessential professional, and it has been a profound honour to work with her as she brings a lot of experience and know-how to the team. She has always been and continues to be keen on sharing her knowledge to the benefit of all.”  

Outside the healthcare environs, Nurse Hessing’s community involvement has earned her a Heroes Day Pioneer Award in 2015, recognising her exceptional contribution of more than 20 years to voluntary service.