Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 18, 2012 (SKNIS): Approximately 50 nurses and nursing students were motivated to become effective leaders that forge positive change in patient care, relationships with colleagues and professionalism across the board.
Dr. Marion Howard, Ambassador of the Commonwealth Federation of Nurses (CFN) and CFN Representative responsible for the Atlantic Region, facilitated a Leadership Workshop in St. Kitts on May 14 and 15 as part of local activities in commemoration of Nurses Week 2012. Nurses Week is being held under the theme: “Closing the Gap – From Evidence to Practice” and Dr. Howard revealed to the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service that the workshop itself was designed to fill a particular need.
“That is why we are here in St. Kitts working with the Nurses Association to help them develop themselves as leaders, especially because they are the ones who have to take their profession forward,” Dr. Howard emphasized. “Only nurses can articulate nursing needs and we have committed ourselves to be the voice for nursing so we have to give them the tools to be able to do their job effectively.”
The CFN Representative further noted that the workshop topics included discussions on the various leadership theories as well as self-exploration on individual potential for leadership. The outcome of the training session included the identification of five projects designed to bring about change in the nursing profession as well as in the wider community over several years.
Cerena Browne, a Critical Care Registered Nurse at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital, Nurse of the Year and the Public Relations Officer of the St. Kitts Nurses Association gave her view of the sessions.
“This workshop has been very beneficial to us in that we are learning a lot more about how to be a leader as a nurse, an advocate as a nurse, and how to be a professional nurse, as we go about improving the standards and ethical principles of the entire nursing profession,” Ms. Browne noted.
Dorpha Seabrookes, Student Nurse at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant (CFB) College was of a similar opinion.
“The workshop today was very beneficial to me,” Ms. Seabrookes revealed. “It showed me the importance of being a leader and how to manage my patients and how to develop attitudes and attributes of a leader in order to provide quality patient care to the individual and their families at large, and also to be a great leader for my colleagues.”
Nurses Week continued last Wednesday with “Tea Delight” which was a tea party and sideshow, Friday was Community Outreach where nursing professions erected a tent close to Shoreline and offered glucose and hypertension screening as well as counseling to passers-by. On Saturday, the week comes to an exciting close with a 20/20 Cricket Match “Nurses vs. Doctors” at the LIME Grounds, Needsmust. Admission is $2.00.
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