Nurse of the Year to Assist Treasure Beach Students Impacted by Hurricane

The 2024/2025 Nurse of the Year, Abigail James, will be providing back-to-school supplies for students from her Treasure Beach community in St. Elizabeth who have been affected by Hurricane Beryl.

“My project for this year, with support from the LASCO Chin Foundation and the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), is to give back to the children of Treasure Beach, whose families have suffered tremendous loss,” she told JIS News.

Nurse James noted that initially she had intended to take on another project but given the disruption caused by the hurricane, particularly in St. Elizabeth, she wanted to assist those impacted as best as possible.

She told JIS News that she is committed to service and intends to use her Nurse of the Year platform to uplift others.

“To be able to be there for somebody when they can’t be there for themselves, it is a wonderful feeling,” she noted.

Nurse James said that the Nurse of the Year title is a “big deal” for the Black River Hospital where she works.

Noting that it is the first time that a team member from the hospital was winning the coveted award, she said the recognition speaks to the dedicated service that the health facility provides.

Lauding Nurse James, Regional Director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), Michael Bent, said it is appropriate that her project is focused on helping children from her community, noting that “we fully endorse it”.

He commended first runner-up in the Nurse of the Year competition Roshelle Mendez, and second runner-up Davia Dwyer from the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester.

“We are very proud of these ladies and it is a very proud moment for the region,” Mr. Bent said.

Chief Executive Officer at the Mandeville Regional Hospital, Alwyn Miller, told JIS News that the nurses are passionate about what they do. “We are thankful that these two ladies are such standard bearers,” he said.

The Nurse of the Year programme recognises pacesetters within the profession who have displayed high professional, ethical and personal development standards.

Interested nurses islandwide are encouraged to fill out an application form and submit to the NAJ at 4 Trevennion Park Road, Kingston.