PM Terrance Drew reaffirms commitment to advancing nursing in St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Terrance Drew highlighted that his administration is dedicated to the betterment of the nursing profession and also to turn the Federation into a regional leader in nursing education and training. He spoke about this on the May 13th edition of “The Roundtable”.

PM Drew also recognized the work of nurses across the Federation during International Nurses Week. He outlined many of the transformational initiatives which his administration has put in place for their support and development.

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis said that they have implemented meaningful changes, from paying the long-overdue COVID-19 honorarium, to introducing specialization pathways, to reintroducing the Associate Degree in Nursing at CFBC since taking office.

Initiatives to enhance healthcare in St Kitts and Nevis

PM Drew highlighted the reintroduction of the pre-nursing course at Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and the reintroduction of the Associate Degree in Nursing programme with the aim of establishing several pathways for citizens to enter the profession.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew emphasized the government's efforts in restoring injustices perpetrated on locally-trained Cuban nurses in the past. He  stated that all the Cuban nurses had appeared before the Nursing Council and were awarded back pay from when they began.

The Prime Minister also announced the government’s plans to provide accommodation for the headquarters of the Regional Nursing Body in the Federation. He stated that St Kitts and Nevis should be the regional nursing body's headquarters and that they are working to further develop their nursing fraternity.

Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew said that the development of the nursing profession is very much at the core of what it takes to improve the healthcare sector’s resilience. In addition to this, he said that a robust health care system is necessary to achieve their vision for a Sustainable Island State.