Recruit wisely to maintain and drive forward high-quality healthcare services in Dominica – that’s the advice being given to those involved in recruiting nurses on the island to work in the health sector.
The appeal to re-examine the nurses’ recruitment process comes from health professional Jean Jacob, a former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health.
Jacob was one of a number of panelists discussing nursing-related matters.
Addressing the recruitment process specifically, she cautioned “you are not going to put that individual behind a desk. You are going to put that individual to care for people, to understand people… so it’s not just anybody wash foot and come”.
The observation of Nurses Month here has thrown the spotlight on those who serve in that profession – they have been heavily criticized in online blogs and elsewhere, with calls for a more positive attitude on the part of nurses.
While Jacobs is applauding efforts made at national level to train nurses in customer relations, she wants much more done.
“I think as trainers, as a learning institution we have to examine what we do, how we recruit nurses into the profession,” she suggested.
Making reference to a “pre-nursing programme”, she questioned whether it was having the desired impact.
“What is it supposed to do? Is it only to determine academics? Do we look at behaviors, do we look at attitudes during that period to determine whether these are people who should be in the profession?”
The former PS is advocating that proper standards be set in order to identify early weaknesses in prospective nurses.
“There has to be some kind of process to examine the people who come into the profession. We have to look at recruitment and what type of behaviors should be tolerated in the profession at a very early stage,” she argued.
She said that kind of proactive approach would minimize “after the fact” complaints.
She is also suggesting that a cadre of professionals be identified to assist in the development of Dominica’s nursing service.
Jacob believes it is important that young nurses know who the trailblazers in the profession were.
“I would like the nurses association to consider getting the retired nurses who worked in the community to have a dialogue with the younger ones to share their experiences and difficulties in the profession,” she said.
THere are many of us who would like to return for some time and serve at various times , i think DNO should look in to this
Well said Nurse Jacob, we need more well trained retired nurses to speak up, the present nurses lack caring, empathy and bedside manners, gone are the days when PMH had standards, thank god every day for my PMH training although i away from DA,this has being my foundation, thanks god for the Dominican AND British training ,they need to go back to the basic trainingasit was done before, also look at a mentoring programme.Some of the nurses are very unprofessional,they need to change, this will not be tolerated any where else
the portsmouth hospital needs a shake up or maybe a break up .shame on this hospital .my father went there a few months ago and stayed there all day waiting for the doctor who of corse never show up .they sent him home and ask him to come back next day .the man could not even walk with chest pain .the next day somebody had to call the ambulance to take him to the hospital because his condition had worsten .when they reach at the hospital they could not find a a stretcher for him to lie down on (because he could not sit).again no doctor showed up and they told them that they should bring him home and the ambulance will take him to roseau the following day .in pain and argony my dad passed out on the steps .my uncles had to carry him back inside and put him to sit on a chair .the next day about 6am my dad died .thanks to the hands of nurses and doctors of the portsmouth hospital .i can never forgive you all for that .you all could not prevent him from dying but you all could help him.the worst part about it is that they had an authopsy and that same doctor signed and said she examin him and the cause of death is significant (there was about 5 causes of death)that the first time i no that your district doctor could sign the death certificate.
I must say that I spent two weeks last summer at the Dawbiney Ward of the Princess Margaret Hospital and I was quite impressed with the service rendered by the nurses and ward aids – Hats of to you!! There are still some very good nurses around.
Nurses are supposed to be caring, take an oath of confidentiality, loving. I will say this, I do not live in Dominica anymore but I had a few experiences with nurses.
These nurses does not respect their patience, they give information to ANY and everybody who asked about a sick person. Oh how I dislike that.Some of them are RUDE, RUDE, RUDE. They need professional training. They become RN in a year, aint that something.
I am quite curious to know where it takes a year to become an RN!It can never be Dominica so get your facts straight.Stupes!
some of these nurses are using the profession as a way to get to the other side (what they refer to as the greener pastures) so there heart is not in the caring of citizens. once you are not their family member or close friend then you are literally begging for their attention. In fact based on the attitude that was noticed among our nurses, there seems to be alot of division among them.
Greener pastures there’s no sure thing as greener pastures.
As a matter of fact any Dominican Nurse migrating to Canada need to go through a long process if they want to continue working in that profession
The have to send their nursing transcripts to the Ontario College of Nurses for an evaluation, if it does not meet the nursing requirements in Canada they need to upgrade, then go through the licensing process. even to work as a PSW worker (Personal Support Worker) they need to do the same
Some nurses in Dominica do not take the nursing profession serious it’s all about the pay
What pay that?Stupes.Hand to mouth chicken feed then?
NO NURSE PRACTIONER IS INCHARGE OF TWO PEDIATRIC
UNITS IN NY. I WORK IN A HOSPITAL TOO AND I KNOW
HOW IT WORKS
Before you talk eduacate yourself and ask anybody from DA what my qualifications are, my name is there and what I do at work. I will tell you again I am a nurse practiioner and I run the PICU and general peds unit. These are my credentials RN HN PNP MSN. Take that to the bank. My dear it is not about ME
Miss Jacobs has been my mentor since becoming a nurse over twenty years ago.The days of nursing as a noble profession have gone away since these great nursing heroes retired.
What to look for is bedside manner. especially with young children and older folks. Going into hospital for any reason is scary. You need compassion and patience. Not someone who has neither of these qualties and just sees it has a job they have to do.
I am happy that Nurse Jacob with her eminently qualified background has spoken on the issue of the selection of persons to be nurses. It’s not simply a job. A nurse has to have empathy for the patient and his or her relatives. The nurse has to be gracious and courteous to all those with whom she comes into contact. The nurse should thoroughly know nursing medicine. I find too many of our nurses fail to meet these basic standards.
Many of the nurses being accepted into the the nursing program, at the Dominica State College, are weak academically. Many of the students are accepted into the program, without the required passes of CXC Math and English. Instead they are allowed to do some simplified pre-requisite Math and English, which is well below the CXC standards.
IF YOU WANT TO DIE FASTER WHEN YOU ARE SICK JUST GO TO THE HOSPITAL IN PORTSMOUTH. ALL THEY DO THERE IS CHAT
well said Nurse Jacobs. The Nurses at the Portsmouth Hospital and Health Center need alot alot of training. They are ill-disciplined, they do not care one about no one all they care about is their salary at the end of the month. In the same voice I would like to commend the cuban nurses there, though english is a little difficult for them they do their best to attend to patients. I want to say hats off to a special nurse, Nurse Christaline Thomas who works at the health center in Dublanc, this woman is a nurse,she is on vacation and you call on her she is there, she doesn’t about the colour of your skin, your race or who you are she treats everyone the same everyone has their faults but Nurse Thomas is one in million, she loves her job she care. God bless Nurse Thomas, may He give her strength to continue in this field for the next 10-15years. WE LOVE YOU IN DUBLANC NURSE THOMAS.
Good people like her came from Paix-Bouche!
I agree 10000% with miss Jacobs approach and it is always refreshing when a person stands up and says things exactly as it should be said. Straight and to the point. Sorry for straying a little bit. In my opinion the exact approach should be implemented in all other service areas including our police force hope every one concern is taking note?. Thank you miss Jacob as the saying goes our attitude will determined our altitude in life.
Well wash your foot and come already happened witht the Cuban trained, a little too late.
Never happen. We have some of the best Cuban trained nurses, especially at the ICU. See the survival rate of persons who go there critical. That’s just one example. Get your facts straight
You can start by finding some that actually CARE about the people and CARE/LIKE about their job!
I must agree with nurse Jacob, because i had an experience when my mother was on the ward, and i asked myself, if its on the street they got those nurses. Their whole deportment, the way they speak to patients, this is just something else and the ministry of health had really better look into the recruiting process.
Very well said. I personally think that a lot (not all) of the young nurses are joining the profession not because they have a passion and love for it or people but as a means of obtaining an income. They are out there unemployed nursing is the easiest way to gainful employment aside from policing. Thats why we find the level of dedication and professionalism in nursing is on the decline.
DNO CAN WE HAVE A CRICKET UPDATE ? WI vs England
Point well stated but I believe the present nursing school is doing a very good job with our very own trained lecturers under the coaching of Mrs.Denis Edwards. Job well done.
Well said Aunty…it’s about time the older one start teaching the younger ones a thing or two!…Kodus to you for your generous contribution to the nusing profession in DA!
Nurse Jean. POINT WELL TAKEN. This is a global issue that must be addressed at all levels, and nurses must not be afraid to correct each other whenever they witness any type of unacceptable behavior. We and I Mean we. I am a Pedaitric Nurse Practitioner in New York and this is a problem here for us also. I am in charge of 2 peiatric units and everyday I find myself reminding nurses of their code of conduct based on core principles of “respect for people and continuous improvement. But as you said the retired, more experienced nurses must help to groom their young nurses entering into the profession.Lets be proud to be nurses.
I agree with you and I do wish all the best on the job I also wonder have you given any though of returning home we need person like you here.
Plans to return someday to give back.
From what I perceived on a recent visit to Dominica,nurses who wish to return to “give back” are not well received by the other nurses. A minor campaign to encourage returnees should be undertaken. Many of us living elsewhere would happily return to help improve the state of healthcare in Dominica, particularily Mental Health & Drug Abuse. The resentment against returnees has to be addressed. Money is not all. An opportunity to give back, to make a difference in the lives of others is a gift that keeps giving. Caring is contagious
Its not just grooming only but they need to ask themselves if they are really cut out for such a profession, its not like teaching were you can just apply and wait for the end of the month, it takes a whole lot more…..its almost as if our health practitioners have lost their love for their jobs and the wounded people who needs the care and attention.
Sometimes you go to the casualty , the nurse’s head is down and even when you greet them and attempt to make contact …they just ignore you are play dumb…..this foolishness has got to stop and soon.
Amen to that.