QEH showcases healthcare careers to tackle staff shortages

In a move to attract young new talent, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) opened its grounds to secondary school students for a career showcase on Wednesday.

The fair was designed to address critical staffing gaps in specialties from cardiology to health data management.

Students from across the island gathered in the hospital’s courtyard to interact with staff and observe demonstrations from departments including radiology, nursing, and IT.

The event, organised by the hospital’s human resources department, highlighted pathways in specialties such as cardiac technology, mental health nursing, and biomedical equipment management.

Hospital CEO Neil Clark stressed the initiative’s role in shaping Barbados’ healthcare future.

“We invite all the children from the schools to come down to the hospital, have a look at the different services that we provide, and hopefully we can encourage one or two of them, if not more, to think about careers in healthcare,” he said. “It’s a really valuable career because not only are you learning and saving patients’ lives, but you’re putting back into the community.”

Talent Manager in the human resources department, Vena Williams, stressed the importance of succession planning within the healthcare system: “Part of the Human Resources Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital succession plan is to expose students from the various secondary schools—those in fifth forms, fourth forms, and sixth forms—to the various posts that we have here. In terms of radiology, we have cardiac techs, radiographers, and mental health team nurses.”

Clark highlighted emerging priorities as the hospital transitions to digital systems: “IT and data management are becoming crucial. We need young talent to analyse healthcare data for evidence-based decisions”.

Christopher Harris, a trainee cardiac technician, underscored demand in his field: “We’re critically short-staffed. Events like this help spark interest and recruit new technologists”.

The showcase also promoted non-medical roles, such as IT and pharmacy support, reflecting the hospital’s broader staffing strategy.

(LG)