Critical Care Nurses Leave for More Specialised Training

Thirteen critical care nurses and two nurse educators will head to the United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday (June 12), to receive further specialised training at the Leeds Teaching Hospital.

This bilateral arrangement has been facilitated under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and the Government of the UK.

The nurses have already completed seven months of didactic training in Jamaica under the one-year critical care training programme, which began in October 2018. The nurses will complete the last five months of their training in the UK, which entails immersed clinical experience.

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Asif Ahmad, hosted a farewell reception for the nurses at the Commission’s location in Kingston on Thursday (June 6).

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, who was in attendance, said the partnership will help to further build the capacity of Jamaica’s nurses in specialist nursing, which has been a key challenge in the public health sector.

“You are going to be creating value for public health in the UK and, in turn, the people, Government and institutions in the UK will create value for you, so that you become better at what you do and your mission of choosing this profession will be better for it,” he said.

The Minister shared that he has visited the Leeds Teaching Hospital which has “an amazing operation”, and in his interactions has learnt that the staff is looking forward to welcoming the Jamaican nurses.

“They are looking forward to learning from you as well as to give you the opportunity to learn from the institution and the persons who are there, and strengthening their faculty and what they are offering to the citizens in and around those parts of the country,” he said.

Dr. Tufton encouraged the nurses to embrace and enjoy the experience, noting that the benefits of the programme go well beyond the technical competences they will be learning.

“You’re going to be given the exposure of a new environment and culture. You will be given the opportunity to see a new approach, a new society and how that society functions and that will only make you a better professional and a better world citizen,” he said.

The Minister also told the nurses that they should see themselves as pioneers under this programme, and seek to spread the Jamaican culture as ambassadors for Jamaica.

In his remarks, the British High Commissioner wished the participants well on their journey, and briefed them on some of what to expect during their stay.

He told the nurses that as the first cohort under the programme, they have a “double responsibility” to learn and then impart what they have learnt to their local counterparts, “and to be the role models that others will follow. So, you have [a] special pioneering role.”

During the immersed clinical experience, the nurses will be rotated across intensive care nursing sub-specialties. The participants will return to Jamaica in November for final examination and be retained in the local workforce for a period not less than two years.