DOCTOR’S PROFILE: Joyce Nyanchama

Thank you Joyce for finding time amidst your busy schedule for this interview. We also acknowledge the effort you are putting as an individual/team to ensure that your patients are getting the best medical attention.
Moving on, please tell us more about yourself.

Who is Joyce Nyanchama?

Joyce: My name is Joyce Nyanchama, born and raised in Nairobi. From a young age, I was drawn towards helping people, listening to them and trying help them find solutions towards their challenges. This is where my passion for medicine kicked off from.
Am a Clinical Officer by profession and studied my Diploma in Kenya Medical Training College in Eldoret. I later did my internship in Nakuru Level 5 Hospital. I practiced in private sector for 2 years before I specialised in Higher National Diploma in Emergency and Critical Care in KMTC- Nairobi. I’m currently working in private sector working in the Emergency Department, HDU and ICU.

Motivation and practise in medicine

Joyce: I must say my greatest motivation to practice medicine was driven by love for medicine and the ability to help people especially with their medical needs.

Esther: That’s awesome love there and why did you choose Medicine and not other fields such as Public Health or Nursing?

Joyce: I find it easy to interact directly with the patients while practising medicine: listening to them, helping in finding solutions. It also helps me learn something new and gain knowledge day by day.

Esther: What do you like most about practising medicine and why?

Joyce: Practising medicine gives me a good challenge, gaining new knowledge everyday since medicine is ever changing with new research and information. Besides that, I get to help patients with their
medical needs and ailments.

Accomplishment and future endeavours

Joyce: I love Emergency Medicine and managing critically ill patients. Being an emergency clinician is my ultimate goal. I’m fortunate to be taking a POCUS Course, with which I will apply the skills to manage my patients and come to a correct diagnosis.

Esther: Interesting. Which other medical field would you want to pursue and why?

Joyce: That would be in Research. Kenya been one of the countries with limited resources especially in healthcare, there stands many gaps which needs to be filled. I believe with adequate research, we can find those gaps and be able to further provide quality health care to our patients.

Working together for better patients’ outcome

Joyce: There are different departments in the medical field which plays different important roles in ensuring better outcome for patients. However, we work as a multidisciplinary team where each team is represented in patients’ cases to give their management inputs.

Esther: How do you approach diagnoses and treatments for patients?

Joyce: Being a good listener is part of patient’s assessment, being observant on body language of your patient, thorough examination, proper investigation and appropriate treatment as per latest guidelines since medicine is ever changing and medical education to patients.

Esther: With that, I know that your patients are in safe hands. What is your philosophy with medicine and treating patients?

Joyce: FIRST DO NO HARM, second by abiding to medical ethics, third by being empathic and
treat everyone equally despite background or financial status.

Getting to know Joyce at a personal level

Esther: Wow, you make an empathetic healthcare provider. How have you been able to handle work-related stress and time management considering that you’re balancing between family/individual and work?

Joyce: Am glad to have a supporting family that understands my line of work, and I try my best to
create time for family and rest.
With work related stress I have supporting colleagues whom we work with closely, we can discuss
about situations at work and perhaps personal issues.

Esther: What do you do for fun?

Joyce: I love nature, and outdoor activities, I love watching medical movies.

Esther: You sound fun to be with! What aspects of practising medicine do you find challenging and why?Have you been able to solve them?

Joyce: I deal with critically ill patients in the ICU, so the hardest part is breaking bad news to patients and relatives, but I always find my way into it. There’s the part of long working hours, but I ensure to take enough rest afterwards to replenish my energy.

Medical Achievements

Joyce: Academically, I have done Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support(BLS), Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). I’ve also did an online training on Leadership and Management in health from the University of Washington and I’m currently in an ongoing POCUS Training Course.

Esther: What are the experiences working around sick people?

Joyce: Working with sick people makes you humble and appreciate the gift of good health. It helps you understand the struggles patient’s go through in their sickness both physically and psychologically.

Esther: I can imagine. What excites you about medicine in general?

Joyce: The fact that am able to help alleviate pain, sickness, teach people on promotive and preventive
healthcare practices. Also medicine is dynamic it keeps on changing, the fact that I get to learn
new knowledge everyday and keep interacting with different cadres in health and learn from them too is all round exciting.

Keeping up with medical trends

Joyce: Yes, I do. I attend organised CMEs and trainings. I also read up-to date journals and updated medical guidelines.

Esther: What challenges do you feel doctors are facing today?
a. Understaffing of medical personnel leading to fatigue
b. lack of adequate resources
c. high cost of getting medical care

Esther: And how do you think these challenges should be addressed?

Joyce: The government should employ more healthcare workers to cater adequately for the needs of the community, provide basic commodities required to the health facility for smooth running of daily operations, and ensure that health is equitable and affordable to everyone.

Esther: What are your expectations after completing the POCUS Course?

Joyce: Integrating the knowledge learnt on my daily work routine to help in timely decision making in treating patients. Most of my patients are critically ill and having a POCUS skills helps me do a quick assessment on deteriorating patients, intervene and stabilize patient before more comprehensive investigations.

Healthcare in Kenya and Africa in years to come

Esther: Interesting. Where do you see Kenya in terms of Healthcare in years to come?

Joyce: Our vision as a country is providing accessible universal healthcare for all, through preventive, promotive and rehabilitative healthcare.

Esther: Where do you see Africa in terms of Healthcare in years to come

Joyce: I believe that as African countries we have the potential to provide the best medical care as
we incorporate modern technology in providing affordable and accessible healthcare for all.

Esther: Thank you so much for your time Joyce. We wish you all the best.