Veteran nurse Gaynell Hayward has become one of a very few to be named Bermuda Nurse of the Year for the second time in a row.

Here she talks to Lifestyle's Jessie Moniz on losing her husband, working in Ethiopa and how nursing is about caring, sharing, compassion, and humility.

When she was given the Nurse of the Year trophy at the annual nurses' banquet a lot of other nurses were surprised that she won for a second time including Gaynell Hayward.

"I keep asking myself why they gave me Nurse of the Year," said Mrs. Hayward, modestly. "Perhaps part of that may be that they see me as a role model. I do a lot of professional development, and I am also involved in community service."

Here are just a few of the things that Mrs. Hayward has done since she was named Nurse of the Year the first time: raised money for the Bermuda Heart Association, been active with the Nurses' Association, run a half marathon, nursed sick children in a hospital in Ethiopia, and campaigned against female genital mutilation (FGM).

Mrs. Hayward is programme manager of maternal health and family planning at the Ministry of Health.

She previously worked for 15 years in the newborn nursery and seven years in the Maternity Ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

"Then they restructured the hospital and I lost my job in 1992," she said. "They put me in the Diagnostic Imaging Department. I was working in Mammography, and I assisted them with basic procedures like amniocentesis and breast biopsies.

"But I really enjoyed working with babies. That is what brought me the greatest pleasure. People are very vulnerable at that time. I liked being a part of what was, most times, one of the happiest moments, and also experiencing their sorrow during the not-so-happy times."

She has worked with over 12,000 babies in her career.

Ten years ago, her life was turned upside down when her husband, Ben Hayward, died suddenly.

"He wasn't sick, he had a massive heart attack," said Mrs. Hayward. "It was very unexpected. He had just turned 44. It changed my whole life."

The following year she went to Ethiopia to do missionary work for three weeks.

"That was very soothing," she said.

The hospital she worked in was very basic with open wards and few resources.

"I did encounter a little boy there who really touched my life," she said. "He was 18 months old, but really tiny. He had malnutrition, HIV and full blown aids with tuberculosis.

"His mother had died. I remember him looking at me. He was very apathetic looking. His father said to him to give me his hand. He gave me his hand and he lit up like a lightbulb. I ran to get my camera. I said 'keep that smile, I am coming right back'. I took a picture of him. He had the most beautiful smile. His eyes had light in them."

When Mrs. Hayward returned home she called the hospital to find out how the boy was doing and learned he had passed away.

She keeps a photo of the little boy beside her bed.

"I will never forget that experience," she said. "That to me is what nursing is about. It is about caring, sharing, compassion, and humility.

"It is about providing a service without expecting anything in return. Most times nursing is a thankless job. But you can be guaranteed that you will know that you have made a difference and you have done your best."

Mrs. Hayward is a spiritual person and believes that her ultimate reward will be in the next life.

"This is extra," she said. "That is what keeps me focused. The honour that is bestowed by your profession is wonderful, but I work without a thought of being recognised."

The Ethiopian hospital came into her life again when she began campaigning against FGM.

"I was doing a piece on FGM to raise awareness of the practice in Africa," she said. "The hospital I worked with in 2000 was the hospital that an American physician was working out of to deliver pregnant women who had suffered FGM. It was featured on television."

Women who have experienced FGM often have complications delivering babies.

She became an opponent of FGM a few years ago when Amnesty International brought an FGM survivor to the Island to speak.

When she received her trophy, her mother Kathleen Ford, was right by her side.

"My success has really come about through the support of my mother who recognised from an early age, about three, that I had a soft touch and caring with my younger siblings," said Mrs. Hayward. "She just knew I was going to be a nurse."

Every single year Mrs. Hayward received a nurse's kit for Christmas.

"That really reinforced it," she said. "I give a lot of gratitude for her being so wise and supportive. At the end of the day when I completed my training I felt that my mom was the reason."

Mrs. Ford brought up six children.

"If there were more mothers like her we would have more nurses and people in professions that they are geared towards," said Mrs. Hayward. "Also, I might add that having a goal is vital.

"That is what I see missing in a lot of young children. They are not goal oriented. They don't aim for higher heights. They are just happy to coast along. To be successful in anything you have to put effort in."

She urged people considering nursing to look at the nursing programme at the Bermuda College.

"That is another avenue you can pursue," she said.

Mrs. Hayward wasn't the only one in her family to become a nurse. Her brother, Russ Ford, is also a nurse, and has also won the Nurse of the Year trophy in the past. He is the senior nursing officer at the Bermuda Department of Corrections.

"I think I am the only nurse to share the trophy with her brother," said Mrs. Hayward.

And Mrs. Hayward's community service goes on. She is currently working with Dr. John Madiro on Aid for Africa, a project to help people in Africa.

"We are looking at how we can further support them," she said.

She will hold the fourth annual Benjamin Hayward Memorial Charity Golf Tournament at Belmont on June 7 to raise money for the Bermuda Island Association of the Deaf and Aid for Africa.

For more information about the Bermuda College nursing programme contact Kathy Ann Swan on 239-4071.