Clarendon Health Sector Benefiting from the Services of Nigerian Nurses

The Clarendon health sector is benefiting from the services of eight Nigerian nurses, under a technical cooperation agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the Republic of Nigeria.
Among the group are: one nurse anaesthetist, one accident and emergency nurse, one perioperative (theatre nurse), and one community nurse.
According to Michael Bent, Parish Manager for the Clarendon Health Department, the nurses have been in the parish since early July.
“Of the eight nurses, six have been assigned to the May Pen Hospital and two to the Chapelton hospital. They have been in the southern regional health authority system since July 6 and in Clarendon since July 11,” Mr. Bent told JIS News.
He said that all the Nigerians were registered nurses, who had the capacity to perform in specialist areas. “They have really impacted us significantly because generally, as a nation, we’re short of nurses. In Clarendon.to have gotten eight nurses at one time is very significant,” Mr. Bent said.
Some 48 nurses have been placed in different health facilities across the island under the technical cooperation programme.
Mr. Bent explained that the nurses were required to work in the island for two years, where they would provide voluntary service, with the Jamaican government seeing to their accommodation and transportation to and from work.
He pointed out that the agreement has had a positive impact on the health sector as it had reduced the financial cost to the government.
Meanwhile, Matron of the May Pen Hospital, Angela Thomas, told JIS News that the nurses have settled in well.
“We’re very happy for them and so far, they’re basically settled and we have them working in areas such as accident and emergency, in the operating theatre and we have them on the wards. They’re very flexible and they’re willing to learn, which is a really positive thing,” she said.
Matron Thomas explained that the nurses were taken through an orientation period, which included a session on language arts to help them better communicate with patients. The orientation also involved an exchange of skills and ideas on health care.
She told JIS News that the nurses were not yet practising in their specialist areas, as they first have to be registered with the Nursing Council of Jamaica.