Nurses get training to offer quality care

The program is expected to improve the public image of nurses in Dominica
The program is expected to improve the public image of nurses in Dominica

Seventy-five nurses will participate in a second month of Nurse Mentorship/Coaching Program geared at addressing the increasing demands and challenges in the delivery of quality nursing care.

Speaking at the launching ceremony on Friday, Principle Nursing Officer, Caesarina Ferrol, explained that one of the main objectives of the program is to improve the professional practice, overall morale and public image of nurses in Dominica.

“It aims to provide mentors and coaches who will assist in strengthening the capacity of the nursing service to deliver improved quality of services,” she explained. “The main objectives of this program are to develop supportive and encouraging relationships, to guide nurses in their professional, personal and interpersonal growth, promote mutality and sharing based on the needs of collegues.”

Other objectives of program include strengthening management and clinical practice.

According to Ferrol the program is designed in three main phases.

The first phase was the conceptualization, organizing and approval of the program which culminated in the selection and training of 84 mentors and coaches. They were mainly nurse administrators, supervisors, managers, nurse specialists, other senior staff in the ministry of health and ten retired senior nursing personnel.

The second phase is the implementation phase at the Princess Margaret Hospital and District Hospitals.

“The mentees were allowed to choose their own mentors,” she stated. “Also complementing the mentorship coaching program will be a special in-service education program specifically designed for mentees, consisting of monthly planned sessions throughout the six months mentorship.”

Ferrol noted the third phase of the program will be evaluation phase.

In the meantime, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Helen Royer, urged the nurses to stand up for professionalism.

“I want to highlight that we have remarkable, hardworking, professional and dedicated nurses who are themselves models and need to be commended for the professionalism they display and the extra mile they have to go,” she stated. “You should run your race because people will try to get in your head and make you feel insecure.”

She said nurses should always practice what they know is right and that they should keep running and hold their heads up high.

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16 Comments

  1. meme
    April 8, 2014

    i am happy for this mentorship progam for the nurses. i am just hoping that everthing taught will be put into practice…

  2. YOU WANT CHANGE
    April 7, 2014

    one set they choose preference,, take what they get internet nurses.

  3. April 7, 2014

    sry to be negative on a positive post but their attitudes wont change thy still dnt care .whenu gt sick thyll still look at u and talk to u in a way tht lets u kno tht ur a bother to them.i just cant understand y

    • Nurses
      April 7, 2014

      Some of them, not all. In fact there are very nice nurses that will go the extra mile for their patients but I agree with you, some of them really leaves a lot to be questioned

  4. Anonymous
    April 7, 2014

    Will assist these hard working nurses in improving health care in DA.

  5. Mary Black
    April 7, 2014

    I am glad that this is taking place because some of the nurses has no respect towards the patients and goes on as if they are better than others.
    They need to respect peoples confidentiality and not to go and pass on peoples business to their friends/family for others to know what is going on in the patient life.

  6. nurse
    April 7, 2014

    Just a correction, It is a six months mentorship/coaching program for nurses

  7. rogerthat
    April 6, 2014

    This is good news indeed. I have seen first hand the nursing care that is given at Princess Margaret Hospital. Firstly the staff should not be allowed to have cell phone’s on the wards or use them when they are working! It was very noticeable that the staff were very caught up with their cell phones while on duty to the detriment of their patients!! There needs to be a system where people on entering the hospital know where to go and when they will be seen by a staff member not wandering around lost and waiting for hours to see someone! The staff need to be polite and caring not stand about with their arms folded being rude to patients. Obviously there are a lot of staff that are very dedicated and good but there is a great deal of training and teaching needed to bring the hospital anywhere near where it should be. Many patients who enter the hospital don’t ever come out alive, it is a very scary place for most people. If you ever have to go into the hospital you need to make sure that you have a good family support system to look after you while there! You have to take your own sheets, washing things, provide yourself with water and food!!! This is fact! I think the staff also need incentive and should be paid properly and also given the respect they deserve when they step up to the mark and give the quality of nursing care that is required and this should be why they have chosen a career in nursing.

  8. Pondera
    April 5, 2014

    A commendable initiative. I can only see this having positive spill offs on our health system. The most critical element of our health care system is the human resource. We have brilliant and energetic nurses in the system. They will do well with the guidance of experienced persons. I see great days ahead for our health system. Congratulations Mrs Ferrol for a well thought out programme. We have a Permanent Secretary who will stop at nothing to improve our health system in Dominica. And best wishes to all our nurses who will participate in this programme. Great effort!

  9. Pondera
    April 5, 2014

    A commendable initiative. I can only see this having positive spill offs on our health system. The most critical element of our health care system is the human resource. We have brilliant and energetic nurses in the system. They will do well with the guidance of experienced persons. I

  10. Nurse too
    April 5, 2014

    This training is very essential. I visited home recently and experienced very bad attitude displayed by some of the nurses.at the Glover Ward. They were insensitive uncaring and rude .I hope this conference does not only help to change the image of nursing at the PMH, but also teach them to be more caring for the patients but also family members. I hope they realize that Nursing is not just a JOB
    getting a monthly check. but to care for people especially the sick
    .

  11. health personel
    April 5, 2014

    i hope something comes of that mentorship programme and that nurses do what nurses are trained to do and not find themselves being something else while working in capacity as nurse. right now personally im ashamed of whats going on. every square peg in wrong hole and nothing never get resolved.
    nurses and by extension health workers should always be professional starting from the head trickling to the bottom
    i wish the effort every luck

  12. April 5, 2014

    They need this training,

  13. April 5, 2014

    When a nurse is seen with a plaster covering a finger with dry blood on that plaster ,was she given any training at the hospital to change her plaster and put on clean gloves?A nurse like any body else can have a contagious health issue.A used breeze plastic pale is used at the emergency to clean ear caps ,in a concrete sink with no tiles>plastic is not a good utensil to clean anything at the hospital because plastic absorbs what ever product which is place in or on it.Patients are laying on bare plastic surface bed at the emergency ,no sheet ,the common brown paper bags are used for asthmatic people to blow in which is totally inappropriate …asthma inhalers are not expensive ….
    We need a good facility with proper equipment then we can think of quality training ,because without quality equipment that nurses should work with , no one can have the ability to evaluated the training that were given to them.

  14. Educated
    April 5, 2014

    Thanks for the quality care training. It is needed. Thanks nurses for all your hard work.

  15. real madman
    April 5, 2014

    Yes is time to teach thowe nurses that up there how to do thrre job properly because more tgan half of them need training.they doe care.

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