Revise recruitment process for Dominican nurses says local consultant

Local consultant and Chief Executive Officer of VF Inc Dr. Valda Henry is calling for the revision of the recruitment process for Dominican nurses.

Dr. Henry, who was delivering the feature address at the 54th Anniversary of the Dominica Association of Nurses Monday, said the image of the profession can be affected by poor selection of student nurses.

She was addressing nurses on the topic “Embracing Ethics over Privilege”.

“We do know that there are some persons who come to the profession just as a job. They don’t care about people. They don’t care about upholding any pledge that the nurses stand for, so it’s a way out. Those persons responsible for recruiting must pay attention,” she said.

Dr Henry continue, “You cannot create caring in anybody, you cannot create empathy. Those are characteristics trades that you hold. You can either have it or you don’t.”

She told the nurses that these are essential characters which must be considered and trust must also continue to be a principle on which the nursing profession was founded.

“Trust is a very important thing. It has to be earned. You cannot demand it and once earned, you have to do all in your power to maintain it. Some nurses undermined the trust of the profession,” she said.

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23 Comments

  1. conscious
    February 16, 2013

    Dr Henry is extremely correct and the statement goes to all profession. It is just another dollar to some people. I say a degree in nursing does not make you a nurse and so does any other degree you need the characteristics for your profession. The service industry and teaching.
    DOES GIVING BIRTH MAKE YOU A MOTHER?

  2. awa
    August 24, 2011

    @islandnurse, i agree i love Dominican nurse they are the best.I don’t Dr. Henry understands she need to step down from that high she put her self on.

  3. Jah
    August 24, 2011

    enough of those negative vibes and talk bout nurses. they are hard workers.and wat about the positive things that are done.wat about the very good nurses in Dominica? y cant that be spoke of instead

  4. single
    August 24, 2011

    pay nurses better and hear their cries and then they will treat persons better. nurses are crying out every day and no one tends to listen

  5. beautiful
    August 24, 2011

    Dominican nurses are wonderful persons and they work tirelessly.So Dominicans appreciate wat u have because if u dont another country will be happy to accept these very same nurses. And these same nurses that are not appreciated are doing well overseas and are being appreciated better

  6. God's given virtue
    August 24, 2011

    Dont u know that nurses have to always be thinking critically at work in order to save lives and that its more than just wearin a white uniform. Nurses are hard working people, so i believe instead of speaking about the negatives, the positives should be highlighted. These are the same people in high positions that make all the money and just bring down nurses.Dr Henry is a doctor. and she is not working in the clinical setting. She works in an office, and draws a large salary.Y cant she use her power to fight on behalf of the nurses. Does the public know that the maximum salary for a registered nurse in domininca is 2,800 dollars befor tax, compare to the starting salary of a nurse in antigua which is 3000.00 plus and with medical benefits.that should have been discussed at the meeting instead.

  7. God's given virtue
    August 24, 2011

    iv been to different places such as supermarkets, and even the very same Dr.s office for care and i dont get the treatment i deserve.And i just tell myself that people are different doh matter where u go in life and that there are certain things that cannot be changed.it is so funny that these very same people thats speak about nurses have attitudes at work, display the same attitude towards the nurses everywhere they go or to other persons in public.12 hour shifts is not healthy. and dont u know that alot of nurses that work 12 hour shifts gets sick.and that working shifts, holiday, weekends and night shifts are not as a result of choice but u have to .U dont actually have a choice.Dont u know that nurses have family and loved ones and that most times spent at work are stressful and that wen they return home they cannot take care of their family

  8. God's given virtue
    August 24, 2011

    I have to keep asking myself y is it that people that sit in their offices like Dr. Henry want to impact negativity on nurses and giving the public a wrong concept about nurses.Why didnt she say something like we applaud our nurses for the hard work well done. For dedicating their time to the service. Being a nurse is not easy. u have to be in it to know wats its like.and the public must know that every where u go, there will be persons with stinking attitudes.

  9. God's given virtue
    August 24, 2011

    It hurt my heart to know that on that special day that Dominica nurses are celebrating there anniversary, someone is coming up wit some kind of negative vibes.Especially Dr Henry.Why didnt she come up with some positive vibes for the nurses instead.Some form of motivation for nurses.Who is she anyways. She dont work at the hospital to know the situation there.The stress that nurses have to be put under on a daily basis. Most times the public come to the hospital with a negative vibes about the nurses. So even if they get a positive treatment to them it is poor.I am a nurse and do the public know that nurses are placed in harms way every single day. And that if a nurse is injured on the job, the state does not cover him/ her. Y cant Dr. Henry in her high position fight for insurance for nurses instead

  10. pulbwa
    August 23, 2011

    It is so easy to get away with such a delicate topic.First of all i must commend the dedicated team at the faculty of health sciences for their unwavering commitment towards nurturing ,educating and to some extent re socialization in a noble professeion in which we render service not to pieces of merchandise but to human beings,in which both external and internal factors must be accounted for in delevering care.

    The exposure attained at the school is a small step in a long journey. It is my experience that the vast majority of tutors past and present stressed passionately the need to be empathetic and to provide holistic care.

    The success of these nurses depend strongly on their own self interest and motivation in caring for people which will be enhanced by strong supervision, mentoring and appropriate administrative policies.

    Who wants to be ill having all the stresses of hospitalization to deal with, and you asked the nurse for help,she doesnt resopnd but goes on her black berry phone and walks out on you.The patient may not uderstand what the doctors said ,so the patient may asked

  11. IslandNurse55
    August 23, 2011

    I had the HONOR and PRIVILEGE to work with the Dominican Nurses before I had to come back to the States. I found the majority of the nurses I worked with hold the Nursing profession in high esteem and consider it an honor to be a nurse.
    The problem of some nurses just being at work for the “job and pay” is not limited to Dominica.
    I have worked with MANY young nurses here in America that perceive “Nursing” to be showing up for work(and not on time), passing a few pills, then sitting at the desk and looking pretty when doctors round or until another medication is due to be passed. Nurses that view Nursing as a “job” only are missing out on some of the richest experiences of their life.

    During my time as a nurse in Dominica,while I had hoped to teach my fellow nurses, I found I was always the student.I was welcomed, sometimes chuckled at, but ALWAYS treated with kindness and professional respect. Nursing is not just a science,it is an art. Some people have the ability to truly empathise and some do not.
    Nursing means letting personal barriers and beliefs down and getting into the realm of a patient AND the family. I believe when nurses are not willing to engage in a degree of self exposition then the true experience of being a nurse is lost,wherever on this Earth you are.
    My hearts desire is to one day soon to be able to nurse again in Dominica. I always smiled when I saw how PROUD the Dominican Nurses were to wear their white uniforms and caps(which we don’t wear in the States)
    I remember the first day of work , meeting with Matron in my white uniform , brown belt and cap( that was too big for my head) I , too, felt the pride of being in the profession of Nursing once again.
    To the young nurses, expose yourself to your patients to let them know you understand. Study and be up to date so you can teach your patients how to be healthy. Don’t be afraid to show yourself, share your experience or teach your fellow nurses.
    Thank you Nurses of PMH for TEACHING me How to be a nurse again.

  12. Train-up-a-child
    August 23, 2011

    I disagree with Dr. Henry wee pal. Empathy can be taught, especially from a tender age. I recall clearly my parents instilling empathy in us, for examples:

    (1)if it’s 1 bread left, ask who doh eat yet so you can practice to take a piece & leave a piece for somebody else in the household……or it it’s half a ketchup bottle of juice left, take a likkle bit and leave some for your brother!

    (2) If mammy accustomed of waking up at 6am and you doh see her come find out if she not feeling well today.

  13. August 23, 2011

    DR HENRY IS SO CORRECT….THE NURSING PROFESSION IS BECOMING LIKE THE POLICE FORCE…JUST ANOTHER JOB TO KILL SOME TIME.

    THE NURSING PROFESSION IS NOT FOR YOUNG IMMATURE GIRLS….A NURSE MUST BE EMPATHIC…LOVING AND CARING…I SUGGEST A PANEL BE PUT IN PLACE CONSISTING ON SENIOR NURSES AND DOCTORS WHO WILL INTERVIEW AND DO THE NECESSARY SELECTIONS.

  14. lang
    August 23, 2011

    i wish some of them had common sense…u telling them that the ‘health center’ refer u to the hospital and when u reach casualty they telling u to go to the health center…Dem nurses need to pay attention! on the other hand, we have some nurses that put their all into their job..so caring and kind

  15. Inquirer
    August 22, 2011

    Dr. Henry I beg to differ,

    The nurses need to be trained how to empathize with their patients and other interpersonal skills. This should form weighting in their practicals and graded.

    Clear Harbor has a very good rubric in this area, perhaps one can use some of their ethical codes, this would do a lot for dealing with our patients in this country.

    • LA VAYWITAY
      August 23, 2011

      It is clear you do not know the first thing about nursing. You can be taught a lot of things but empathy is not one of them. You cannot teach a person to be empathetic; it comes from within.

      I heard Dr. Henry’s speech and she is very correct. People must become nurses because they want to be a nurse and not because this is a job option. Nursing is a profession and thus you need to have a calling to it. I am guessing you have never been on the business end of an ill mannered nurse? Trust me, this is not an experience you want.

      People who enter the profession as a job bring shame upon the profession. Nurses need to be caring and understanding people. You must deliver tender, loving care to the whole patient. Not just pass and give them a pill and say swallow; you must be willing to listen to their concerns, empathize with them and sometimes give advice.

      I agree with Dr. Henry; they must be screened carefully.

      • Inquirer
        August 23, 2011

        No wonder the overall customer service and ethics are so poor in this country. You can teach someone empathy skills and how to do so. This has to be communicated and taught.

        These skills are taught in the US and Europe.

      • politbureau
        August 23, 2011

        empathy can be taught. has to be taught not necessarily at the nursing school level but should be part of overall upbringing and nurturing.one does does not automatically born with those things like a set of genes. it has to be taught.

  16. big up
    August 22, 2011

    The peime responsibility of the nurse is towards the people they serve,some nurses undermine the trust of the profession, their attitude is not right, could be the wrong selection for the profession.

    • Watching
      August 23, 2011

      Or it could be wrong supervision, or maybe politicians interfering when attempts made to discipline the bad eggs. Many things can be responsible.

  17. wounded lion
    August 22, 2011

    dr u are so right. empathy comes from within
    and yes respect earned.

    u said it just right a job,just for the money. when i met u i will shake ur big toe.

  18. CARIBBEAN MAN
    August 22, 2011

    Dr Henry although you might have the facts to corroborate your statement and would like you in the same breath to applaud the nurses who have to carry out their duties under some of the most stringent conditions,low salary, not having proper living quarters and not having a transportation service in place to take the nurses to and from work in the very late hours of the night. So please Dr Henry let us rally behind the nurses who are doing a wonderful job in spite of the adverse conditions.

    • Anonymous
      August 23, 2011

      Dr.Henry’s point does not deal with the good part of nursing. We all know that there are some good and the conditions needs to be improve. However this does not give any nurse the right to treat patients’ bad and to show his or her disrespect to the profession .More money, better conditions will not take the bad out of a person with a nasty attitude and unprofessional behavior. We need to do better, and then demand from the powers that be, what is rightfully ours.

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