The Blood Centre’s Nurse of the Year Yelena Baranova: I’m so happy doing this dream job!

 On the initiative of the International Council of Nurses, 12 May has been celebrated since 1965 as the International Nurses Day to increase awareness of the role of nurses in and their contribution to society. Traditionally, the North Estonia Medical Centre takes this occasion to recognise the best nurses and carers working in its clinics, centres and departments. We are glad to announce that this year Yelena Baranova has been selected as the Blood Centre’s Nurse of the Year. And what is more, we are delighted that Yelena was also named the best nurse of the entire Diagnostics Division.

With her sincere smile and warm, dark eyes, Yelena, who has been working at the Blood Centre since 1 February 2005, is a familiar face to many platelet donors. Her colleagues at the Blood Centre as well as numerous donors have every reason to be thankful that there was a vacant nursing post available at the time and that Yelena’s aunt encouraged her to work here. Prior to taking up work at the Blood Centre, she graduated from Tallinn Medical School in 1989 and was employed as a nurse at Medicum. “I’ve never wanted to work in a hospital because I don’t want to cause pain to people,” she says, emotionally.

At the Blood Centre, Yelena started out as an operator and within two years’ time she was a phlebotomy technician. Yelena recalls that when first drawing blood she was afraid of hurting donors or puncturing through the vein wall on the opposite side. After all, puncturing a vein, or inserting a needle into a vein, is a task where experience and precision are essential, because even a minor miscalculation during venipuncture may damage the vein and cause adverse reactions.

In addition to the Blood Centre in Ädala Street, over the years Yelena has also worked at the DoonoriFoorum office and participated in mobile team sessions. Currently, Yelena mostly assists with the process of apheresis – this is the procedure whereby an essential blood component is extracted from the donor’s blood and the remainder is transferred back to the donor. Apheresis – a top level task for both donors and nurses – must be performed by an experienced nurse.

ON my question on what she likes about her work, Yelena answers, with a twinkle in her eye: “What’s not to like about my work – fabulous colleagues, a cosy workplace and people, the donors are very positive, simply fantastic!” And when I continue to enquire about a great day at work, she replies cheerfully and sincerely: “Each day is a great day! I’m so happy doing this dream job!”
I believe that donors as well as other staff members of the Blood Centre benefit greatly from Yelena Baranova’s positive attitude and good heart. So, let’s congratulate Yelena once again and wait for her craft projects and drawings because her good, delicate hands are capable of many things.