First Cohort graduates from Cave Hill Nursing Programmes
09 November 2022
The Faculty of Medical Sciences the Cave Hill Campus of The university of the West Indies is celebrating the first cohort of graduates from its Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing programmes.
The Faculty held the pinning and recognition ceremony for 20 students at the Henry Fraser Lecture Theatre on Friday, November 4, with six graduating from the MSc in Nursing progamme while the other 14 completed the Diploma in Paediatric Nursing.
The health care providers come from a range of institutions including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Geriatric and District hospitals, Polyclinics, and the Barbados Community College.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr the Most Honourable Jerome Walcott lauded the nurses for their commitment to completing the programmes while juggling their professional duties in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The cohort we are recognising this evening comprises registered nurses who sought to advance their knowledge and skills through the completion of specialized programmes including the Master of Science in Nursing and the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Nursing,” he said.
“Their determination to make the best of the situation while shifting to virtual learning demonstrates the adaptability and flexibility (required) to be a nurse now and in the future. Their tenacity to the task of making sure that study assignments were completed while caring for the clients under their charge is indeed worthy of commendation.”
The minister also encouraged continued education and training to prepare health care professionals to meet the ever-changing needs of the health sector.
“As the scope of nursing expands in Barbados, the scope of continuing education must also expand to provide nurses with opportunities to develop leadership skills and knowledge administration in education, and to maintain and enhance competences to provide quality patient care,” Walcott said.
Deputy Principal Professor Winston Moore noted that such programmes are critical to the continued development of the country.
“A good healthcare system therefore minimizes the negative shock of illness by reducing
mortality rates and the length of stay in health care institutions. This also means that investment in vaccination programs, antibiotic distribution programs, micronutrient supplementation schemes and yes, the quality of care provided by the health system can be directly linked to incomes and the standard of living in a country. And the executors of these much-needed services are none other than our nursing personnel.
“The professionalism and quality of our nurses is therefore not only something that we would like to have but as a developing country seeking growth; it is something that is most definitely needed,” said Moore, who was speaking on behalf of Principal, Professor Clive Landis.
The Master of Science in Nursing, with specialisations in Education and Administration, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Nursing, were introduced in 2018. In March, 2021 the MSc in Nursing partnered with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College to offer the programme to their students.
Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Dr Peter Adams also had high praise for the students on their accomplishment.
“All of this attests to the quality and potential of our nurses in Barbados, once they are given the correct opportunity. This is no fly by night programme, it was carefully planned and underwent rigorous approval by the Board of Graduate studies of The UWI,” Dr Adams said.
Programme co-ordinator Dr Wendy Sealy reminded the audience of the critical role of nurses in society.
“Nurses have a very important part to play as a patient advocate and being agents of change when change is needed. Frequently nurses see opportunities for improvement and become innovators to meet this goal as opportunities to provide better care progress to other settings and often nurses are called upon to influence … the care decision makers to make a difference,” Sealy said.
Paediatric Nursing graduate, Stephanie Cox-Mayers said she and her colleagues could not have succeeded without their tutors.
“Though at times many of us had doubts about whether we could go on and complete this programme our tutors, local and international, became our beacon of hope by encouraging, motivating and supporting us to persevere to the very end,” Cox-Mayers said.
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