Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 05, 2018 (SKNIS): A very important milestone in the journey of 15 Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) Nursing Students took place today, October 05, with the first ever Capping and Striping Ceremony held at the Wesley Methodist Church to have the students formally recognized by other members of the Health fraternity.
The Capping and Striping Ceremony is a ceremonial and symbolic rite of passage to nursing practice.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Delores Stapleton-Harris, said that the ceremony is quite a significant one, and that the theme chosen, “New Horizons, New Beginnings” is also fitting as it marks the start of a new journey for the hard working students in this very important field.
“The theme couldn’t be more significant because the cap and stripes of a nursing student are much more than adornments to the head and the uniform. In fact, such acquisitions are a pellucid manifestation of successful progression within the nursing educational programme,” she said.
She noted that the ceremony marks a critical point for the nursing students as they become prominently positioned to carry the mantle of the nursing profession. She encouraged the students to take on their new beginnings with commitment and a sense of duty.
“For as you students embark on this new horizon and new beginning, there must be moral equilibrium and a recognition of the immense responsibility and accountability required. There must be a keen sense of duty and commitment not only to self, not only to the profession, but also to our country,” she added.
Dean of the Division of Health Sciences, Dr. Rondalyn Dennis-Bradshaw, said that the nursing department has come a long way.
“Many of you have heard the saying from small beginnings come great things. This couldn’t ring truer for the nursing department within the Health Sciences Division from modest beginnings in the classroom at the JNF General Hospital to our current site at the CFBC from 1999, we have grown, evolved and often times challenged the limits of the practice of nursing each step along the way. This ceremony today is a demonstration of new beginnings as we endeavour to conquer and surpass new horizons in the training of nursing professionals and nurse leaders,” Dr. Dennis-Bradshaw said.
Dame Delores Gumbs, who gave the keynote address, congratulated the students, while telling them that “Nursing has been called the oldest of the Arts and the youngest of the professions, as such, it has gone through many stages. Nursing has been an integral part of our culture and social movements.”
Present to show their support for the nursing students were the Minister of Health, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, Governor-General, His Excellency Sir S. W. Tapley Seaton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Vincent Hodge, who gave brief remarks, Faculty and Staff of the Division of Health Sciences at the CFBC, healthcare officials and well-wishers.
Second year students who received their cap and stripes were Cyndee Anslyn, Akeila Dore-Huggins, Akissa Farrel, Vincia Hendrickson and Terreece Williams.
Third year students who received their cap and stripes were Kadijah Hodge, Malinda Liburd, Akeisha McDonald, Ammique Nisbett, Shamika Rouse, and Shaquilla Walters.
Fourth year students who received their cap and stripes were Amanda Delaney, Leesa Browne, Denisha James, and Joycelyn Rawlins.
The permanent secretary wished the delegation of students every success on their new journey in the nursing field and challenged them to be positive change agents.
“You are a priceless resource and you must exhibit your worth to your most valuable client, the consumers of the healthcare sector and in doing so you must focus on your goal and remain true to your motto and mission despite the challenges,” she stated.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the CFBC is done in collaboration with University of the West Indies School of Nursing (UWISON). Two other areas of Nursing done at the CFBC are the Post-Basic Midwifery and the enrolled Nursing Assistant Programme.
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