Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 11, 2016 (SKNIS): Nurses in St. Kitts and Nevis have been challenged to reflect on their level of service to the public and question if they are meeting the quality standards required, in what many describe as a “noble profession.”
“Why did I become a nurse? Do I still have what it takes to function effectively as a nurse? and How do patients/clients/the public think of me as a nurse?” were some of the questions posed by the Minister of State for Health, Honourable Wendy Phipps, during an address to mark the May 09 to 14 observance of Nurses’ Week.
Another pointed question asked from the list of seven was, “what do I think is the true picture of the nursing profession in St. Kitts and Nevis?”
“Every one of these questions calls for serious self-examination, honest reflection and clarity of thought and conscience in coming up with solid answers,” the minister questioned. “Yet, it is an exercise that is worthwhile and meaningful, and can be just as easily applied across a multiplicity of career paths other than nursing, by a simple substitution of the career field. The end goal of such self-scrutiny should either be a resolve to improve, a recommitment to the nursing career, or a decision to consider whether the way forward means that a career shift is warranted.”
Minister Phipps said she was raising these questions given the theme of the week, “Nurses: A Force for Change; Improving Health Systems’ Resilience” as well as the need for some nurses to improve their service delivery. She said shortcomings were being addressed through training, consultations and other methods.
“… It is incumbent on every single nurse in St. Kitts and Nevis to render service to the best of his or her ability – regardless of the socio-economic status of the patient or client in question,” she noted. “To do less than that, would be tantamount to setting a very bad example to younger nurses and persons who are considering a career in nursing. Our federation’s next generation of nurses therefore needs excellent role models if we are to maintain the legacy left by scores of nurses who have rendered yeoman service to our country in careers that span anywhere from 40-50 years and beyond.”
The minister of state expressed government’s desire for the nursing profession to continue growing, for all nurses to operate in a professional, impartial, caring and compassionate manner and for the profession to be promoted as a positive career path.
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