Matron Betsy Deen is Transforming Healthcare at Freetown’s Largest Hospital
October 8, 2024
Running a hospital isn’t an easy task — it takes leaders carefully orchestrating a sea of moving parts to keep operations running smoothly. Matron Betsy Deen is that person at Connaught Hospital’s surgical department in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
During Mercy Ships’ 2023-24 field service in Freetown, several training opportunities were offered through Education, Training, and Advocacy (ETA) programs, which helped strengthen the ties between Mercy Ships and Sierra Leone’s healthcare network.
As one of the 145 medical professionals who came on board the Global Mercy™ for training in Sierra Leone, Matron Deen became a familiar face who helped bridge the connection between Mercy Ships and the healthcare staff she oversees in Freetown’s largest government hospital.
Meet Matron Deen
Matron Betsy Deen is the Surgical Matron at Connaught Hospital, a prominent position within Sierra Leone's healthcare system. She has extensive experience in the surgical field, having started her nursing career in 1991 and specializing in perioperative nursing after training in Ghana.
Professionally known as Matron Deen, she plays a critical role in improving surgical care at Connaught Hospital, where her leadership and experience have been vital for the training and development of new nurses. Her collaboration with international organizations like Mercy Ships highlights her commitment to enhancing healthcare standards and surgical capacity in Sierra Leone.
Matron Deen spent several days on board, shadowing nurses, nursing managers, and other hospital personnel to experience the ins and outs of not only surgical services, but processes like hospital administration, scheduling, patient intake, outpatient structure, and patient flow, vital in keeping a hospital running smoothly.
“Through the ETA [program], I was able to broaden my horizon of knowledge on various areas such as team building, patient safety, patient satisfaction, administration in the operating theatre, and sterile processing,” said Matron Deen.
Growing as a Surgical Matron
In her role, Matron Deen primarily manages and organizes all the surgical nurses’ schedules, practices, processes, and procedures before, during, and after a surgery occurs.
Matron Deen's role is not only about managing surgical procedures but also about fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement in healthcare services, ensuring that Sierra Leone's healthcare system can meet the needs of its population more effectively.
As a result of the partnership with Mercy Ships, Matron Deen has expanded her knowledge and training to enhance medical capacity in Sierra Leone, something that directly impacts the country’s development long after Mercy Ships sails to its next partner nation.
“The training that nurses are receiving [from Mercy Ships] is very important because the time that the nurse spends [provides them with the] opportunity to experience international standards. There are so many things for them to learn from the different hospital systems and processes that are in place,” Matron Deen explained.
“This is what I got from Mercy Ships. I was able to take training back from an international hospital and then I can explain or train others that wouldn’t have the opportunity to come to the ship. And at the same time, I also look at myself as a whole and say, ‘what can I do better?’” she said.
Through her learning at Mercy Ships, Matron Deen has developed her own management style for her team at Connaught. Further, she has lobbied members of her own team to participate in simulation training aboard the Global Mercy™, so that local nurses gain valuable experience and knowledge they can then apply to their daily work to improve patient care.
“The most impactful to me was the opportunity to be part of the team briefing on the Global Mercy. The briefing takes place in the morning before the first case of the day, in the presence of all surgical team members to discuss plans. This is the organization structure that I brought back to my own team.”
“I really hope in the short term we can fully implement the processes I learned with Mercy Ships. Since I have been back, I have trained my team on how to understand our surgical schedules and lists better, how to anticipate cancellations, and how to address special needs, to name a few,” Deen explained.
Improving Surgical Care
The collaboration between Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health helps to highlight surgery as a crucial medical specialty in Sierra Leone. By providing access to free surgical procedures and focused training, the partnership aims to save lives and improve the overall quality of healthcare.
“It’s the engagement between Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health using Connaught as a pilot that I think is so very important because it enhances knowledge of current nurses but also shows other medical staff that surgery as a practice is critical in healthcare development,” Matron Deen said.
“I am a surgical nurse. That's my specialty; that's my area. And yet we have so many people in Sierra Leone that cannot get access to proper surgical care for one reason or the other. So, this partnership between Mercy Ships and the Ministry is very important because it not only continues to carry out free surgeries for people in high need in Sierra Leone, it also seeks to train healthcare personnel and gives them the opportunity to improve our knowledge,” she explained.
The long-term engagement with Mercy Ships is expected to have a significant positive impact on the healthcare system in Sierra Leone. Enhanced training and exposure to international standards of care will lead to better health outcomes and a more robust surgical system nationwide.
“We can focus on acquiring skills to implement at our facility level to strengthen our capacity. Training like this indirectly saves thousands of lives. And that is what Mercy Ships is doing and I just think it's great,” Matron Deen explained.
In August 2024, the Global Mercy™ sailed back to Freetown at the invitation of the government of Sierra Leone to continue Mercy Ships’ mission of bringing hope and healing. In this successive field service in Sierra Leone, the seventh time Mercy Ships has served in the country, crew will continue providing life-saving surgeries and ophthalmic care and expand ETA programs to support more healthcare professionals like Matron Deen.
Change Lives, One Voyage at a Time
Mercy Ships is always on the lookout for volunteer crewmembers to assist in continuing its Education, Training, and Advocacy programs, among many other roles available on board its hospital ships. Do you have what it takes to sail into a world of impact?
As a volunteer, you'll be part of a dedicated crew who help bring life-saving surgeries, healthcare, and hope to those who need it most. Whether you're a medical professional, engineer, or someone with a passion to serve, you’ve got something special to share – find your place on board today!
