Preventative Healthcare for Guineans
I AM AFRICAN & I CAN is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.
By Hadiatou Wann | 08/11/2023
When Hadiatou Bah, BSN, RN. was 13 years old, her aunt— who was very young— passed away suddenly in Guinea, Conakry. Although the death was unexpected, she felt preventative healthcare could have stretched her aunt’s lifespan. The neglect/lack of proper care that caused her relative and many others in Guinea to lose their lives inspired her to become a healthcare professional, so that she could one day help Guineans gain access to quality healthcare.
“There are a lot of preventable deaths in Guinea,” Hadiatou said. She expressed that some of the preventative measures people in Guinea could take to lessen death tolls are getting regular health checkups, having resources, good nutrition, and shelter.
While Hadiatou was preparing for college, she applied to Capital University to be directly admitted into the nursing program. With SAT scores that were not high enough, she was admitted to the school but not the nursing program.
The rejection made her question her intelligence, but she believes that it brought her closer to Allah and pushed her to rely on Him wholeheartedly. Also, as a result she became more disciplined both in academic and religious affairs. “I went from having a fixed mindset to a growth mindset,” she said.
She built her relationship with God and reapplied to the same nursing program that rejected her the first time. The second time around, she was accepted. As she worked toward successfully completing the nursing program, she had to prioritize. “You have to learn to say ‘no’ and set boundaries because it requires a lot of time. You don’t have time to be playing games,” Hadiatou advised about the level of commitment studying nursing requires.
With an influx of people going into the nursing field, some may be tempted to choose the field only for financial stability, even if they don’t like it. However, Hadiatou believes it is pointless to put in so much time and effort into a profession and not like it. She admits that nursing is hard, and people need to have a deep and sincere desire to want to help the patient.
From having a planner, to printing out the syllabus on the first day of class so nothing caught her by surprise, Hadiatou made sure that she prepared beforehand as much as possible. “You have to plan for success,” she said.
As an introvert attending clinicals, she worried that she would have a difficult time initiating conversations, connecting with patients, or not knowing how to respond to patients’ concerns. For instance, when patients asked, “Am I going to be, okay?” Not being able to guarantee them that they’ll be okay was worrisome for Hadiatou.
This year, after earning her bachelor’s in nursing, she took on a job as a technician at the hospital while she prepares for the registered nurse board exam. The technician’s role at the hospital gives her the opportunity to have close contact with patients (i.e., take vital signs, draw blood, etc.)
“It’s an intimate relationship you have with the patient because they trust and tell you so much personal information. I look at them as people. This is someone’s mom, dad, son,” Hadiatou expressed. al information.
Ikran Tahlil and Hadiatou met on the first day of freshman year in college and have been close friends ever since. She says: “Hadiatou has been a positive role model in my life. I have learned many things from her but one of the biggest qualities I admire about her is her close relationship to her religion and how she puts everything over her religion. She has a great sense of right and wrong and chooses to always do the right thing no matter the consequences.”
“She is the person I always turn to for any advice and guidance. She takes great pride in the relationships she forms and tries to fulfil her responsibilities the best she can. Hadiatou is the kind of friend you want by your side during good and bad times,” Ikran added.
Hadiatou aims to one day become a women’s health nurse practitioner. Her success story teaches us that good can come from unfortunate circumstances. And to never give up on our goals. If we are disciplined during a setback, we can reap a fruitful comeback.
Inside the Life of a Healthcare Professional
“Success is becoming a better version of myself. It’s always striving to grow as a person, and always trying to get closer to Allah.”
“Study. Sleep. Self-care. What helped me was making constant dua, journaling, walking around and looking at nature, talking to my brothers, and going to the gym. ”
“People can only do to you what you allow. A strong woman knows her value. She puts boundaries in place and enforces them.”
“You have to plan for success.”
Connect with Hadiatou:
Instagram: @hadiaatou.b
Facebook: Hadiatou Bah
Email: hadiatoubah11@gmail.com
Read other success stories here: www.iamafricanandican.info/blog
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