Photo: Tesse Belle Dillman
Morlon Mitchell (pictured above)
School nurse, East New York
Do you get together with other Guyanese nurses often?
We like to gather from different parts of the world. Some from England, some from here, some from St. Martin, Antigua, and Barbados. Some are in Canada, some retired. We just want to keep together.
How has nursing changed since you started?
The Nightingale Pledge is not being recognized. I began my training back home in Guyana in 1984 and moved to the United States in 1997. In our time, we were very strict where this was concerned in terms of dressing and professionalism. There’s no professionalism these days, even with dressing.
Denise Taylor
Caregiver, St. Albans
Anita Mangal
RN, Queens Village
How did you decide what to wear?
My dress is from, I’m sorry to say, Shein. The reason I wore red is that I always carry a shawl that’s the Guyanese flag. The flag has red, green, and yellow in it, so it matched my outfit.
Askia Cummings
Student, Queens Village
Carla George
RN, South Ozone Park
Cornell Frank
Nursing assistant, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
I heard the dance floor was full all night. Did you partake?
Yes, I love ballroom dancing because of my father — he would put me on his feet and we’d go step-by-step. At the age of 14 was the first time I went to a dance hall where myself and another brother danced to Saturday Night Fever. When it comes to music, I don’t sit down.
Collin Taylor
Export agent, St. Albans
Evette Ross
Nurse, Canarsie
Neila Welcome
Retired nurse, Wales
Yvonne Mickle
Nurse, Albany
What do you love about nursing?
I love that when I’m finished with my patients, they must be satisfied. I must go home knowing I did my best. Even if they are dying, I like to see my patients looking good. I always tell them, “You’re sick. Your hair is not sick.”
Audrey Adams
Retired RN, Cypress Hills
Did you dance a lot while you were here?
I danced so much because I really don’t go out a lot. Mostly just church on Sunday. I’m Pentecostal, and we do a lot of, as we would say, dancing with the Lord in church. Whenever
I go to any occasion, I’m ready to dance.
Jewel Haughton
RN, Toms River, New Jersey
Violetta Drakes
RN, New Brighton
Noel Scotland
Army staff sergeant, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
You DJ’d tonight. What song gets people dancing?
I would probably say “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” by Whitney Houston.
Felicia Adams
Retired, Canarsie
Shonette Murray
Nurse, Woodhaven
Hollis Jackman
Senior child-care worker, Springfield Gardens
What are some ways Guyana and New York are similar?
The partying.
Meleck Cummings
Nurse manager, Queens Village
Photographs by Tesse Belle Dillman
