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Gov’t committed to improving capacity of nursing profession

by Anesta Henry
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Acting Chief Nursing Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Anastacia Jordan has reiterated the Government’s commitment to investing in improving the capacity of the nursing profession, even as the Barbados Community College (BCC) continues to face challenges meeting the demand for producing those healthcare workers.

She said that while BCC has limited resources, it remains the main local educational institution that supplies the island’s nurses, who represent the majority of workers in the health sector.

“The faculty remains resilient and continues to play a significant role in maintaining a competent nursing workforce. Their contributions to the nurses in Barbados cannot be overstated,” Jordan said, adding that today’s realities are already shaping human resource development in healthcare.

“As we witness the changes in healthcare requirements in our country become more complex and multifaceted, the nursing workforce must be prepared and be able to respond to these changes. Indeed, nurses are a critical aspect of the Government’s roadmap to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring Barbados’ commitment to universal health coverage and health for all,” she added.

Jordan was delivering feature remarks at Monday’s opening of the BCC/University of Michigan Clinical Teaching Workshop and the BCC/National Training Institute/A1 Training Services Enhanced Skills in Caring for the Older Adult Workshop at the  College’s ‘Eyrie’ campus.

She said a national Nurses’ Human Resources Plan, which was completed in 2015, referenced the need to improve collaboration between educational and healthcare institutions through strengthening and expanding linkages with regional and international universities to improve access to graduate and postgraduate nursing education programmes.

She said the plan also addressed the need to collaborate with local education institutions in the review and development of nursing programmes, including midwifery and general nursing.

“The partnership with the University of Michigan, a collaborative centre of the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), was facilitated by Dr Wendy Sealey, a past Chief Nursing Officer, and it is testimony to the commitment of the Ministry of Health and Wellness to expand the reach beyond the region to improve our human resource development in nursing.

“Our presence here today shows the continuity of that initial effort and the importance of nurse leadership to make linkages to improve and achieve a workforce capable of delivering quality healthcare. But the Government cannot do it alone and, therefore, expanding the network and stakeholders such as Sagicor Inc. and the Maria Holder Memorial Trust is important and a continued thrust towards improving patient outcomes through development programmes like these,” Jordan said.

BCC’s Strategic Project Director Dr Andrea Brathwaite said the two workshops being offered between June 5 and 9 have been organised to enhance the skills of the institution’s nursing faculty and to develop the contributions of the Nursing Auxiliary Programme graduates to benefit the country’s ageing population.

Co-Director, Clinical Learning Center, University of Michigan, Dr Deborah Lee, said throughout the Clinical Training Workshop, participants will engage in a variety of interactive sessions, discussions and hands-on activities.

Co-Director, Clinical Learning Center, University of Michigan, Dr Deborah Lee

She added that the activities have been carefully designed to promote collaboration, encourage critical thinking, and foster innovation.

“We will explore the latest evidence-based practices, learn from one another’s experiences, and enhance our teaching skills to create a lasting impact on the future of healthcare professionals. Together, we can impact our next generation of nurses, thus leading to better patient outcomes,” Dr Lee said.

The National Transformation Initiative (NTI) is also a key partner in facilitating the workshops. (AH)

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