If you're ever in the Surgical Ward at the Rand Memorial Hospital look for the youngest nurse with the biggest smile and you'd have found this issue's young lady in the spotlight. Although no longer a teen, this young lady is the youngest nurse in the entire Bahamas! She is a good example of determination, persistence and hard work in action. Twenty-one year old Nurse Lashayne Thomas is a 2001 honors graduate of the College of The Bahamas.
Some of you may have already met Lashayne as she was on the Nurses Month Committee and visited various High Schools on Grand Bahama talking about issues such as sex, STD's, diet and exercise and recruiting for the profession, during the month of May.
Lashayne graduated from Freeport Anglican High School in June 1997 and went to Nassau to college in January 1998. She graduated from the College of The Bahamas in June 2001, top of her class, with an
Associates of Science in Nursing and received the Hilda V. Bowen Award for academic excellence.

How did it feel to graduate number one in your class?
I was excited and surprised. It was also very gratifying because I know that I had worked very hard to earn it.

How did you stay focused in college?
I always kept my goal in mind. I realize that I would be dealing with people's lives so I wanted to ensure that I got
the best education possible.

What made you choose the nursing profession?
My mom is a nurse and I decided very early that I wanted to follow in her footsteps. I knew I had made the right choice when my grandmother became sick and was constantly in and out of the hospital. I helped take care of her. Her suffering touched my heart greatly and affirmed my decision to become a nurse. Unfortunately, she died before I graduated from college.

What is it like being the youngest nurse?
It's very challenging. Because I'm young I sometimes don't get the respect I deserve. There are times when I'm about to deal with a patient, who would then ask me for the nurse in charge. They're quite surprised when I tell them they're looking at her.

What's next on your agenda?
I plan to work for a while and then do my Bachelors in Nursing Education and Masters in Health Administration. I realize that the higher you go the more doors are open to you.

What would you say to students who may be considering Nursing as a career?
I would say, great choice! Nursing is an excellent profession with endless possibilities. You can go as far as a doctorate in Nursing and there are numerous areas to choose from. Nurses are a very important part of a community. Also, as there is a shortage of nurses worldwide. This is a great time for Nurses. For me this is the best field; and I know it for sure when my patients look at me with gratitude and say thank you.

If you think that you, or someone you know, would make a good Spotlight Teen do drop me a line and tell me about yourself. P.O. Box F-43929, Freeport Bahamas or email [email protected]