The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama nurses were praised for their resilience and contributions to global health in the last three years during the official opening of Nurses Month in Freeport on Monday.

Cheryl Bain, principal nursing officer, commended nurses for enduring difficult and traumatic circumstances because of Hurricane Dorian and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want to thank nurses and support staff for standing strong under the last three years when the northern Bahamas experienced the worst hurricane ever, named Dorian.

“We are still going through (the COVID-19 pandemic); we are resilient and the Covid numbers are decreasing in the Bahamas. So, give yourself a pat on the back for being a part of the global health statistics,” she said.

May is recognised as Nurses Month around the world. It is time set aside globally to recognize nurses for the contributions made to their profession. The International Nurses Congress has chosen as its theme this year: Nurses- A Voice to Lead; Investing in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health.

Nurse Bain said nurses have a strong voice as there are 27 million nurses globally.

“I will say today we are standing strong among the strongest. Bahamian nurses are accounted in that 27 million. We are not alone in this fight for global health,” she stressed.

She said Grand Bahama nurses are also leading in advocacy, education, standards, leadership, and management. She urged them to continue to let their voices to be heard.

Nurse Bain indicated that COVID-19 had affected nurses at GBHS.

“At the beginning of COVID-19, I can tell you the fear was there. And during the pandemic unfortunately we lost one nurse. It was traumatic for us during that time when one of our colleagues was impacted, and it hit us in the face.”

At one point, she recalled that 45 nurses and support staff were out at the same time. “I think that was another realisation that, hey, this could wipe you out.”

Nurse Bain said that additional nurses were not there, many nurses were burnt out and concerned about infecting their families and children.

“We had to deal with the realities and practical side of being human. There were some nurses we had to pray with and take them out of the space,” she added.

The principal nursing officer said with Covid they also had a lot of nurses who left, both Bahamian and expats who went abroad.

“Last year, I lost about 31 registered nurses here and that really impacted us here,” she said.

But Nurse Bain reported that the nursing shortage is being addressed through a nursing programme at the University of the Bahamas and other tertiary institutions, including Terreve College.

“They are doing their best and I applaud them in terms of training. We are getting a good number from UB, and Terreve College in GB which provided seven newly trained nurses that really helped us. And there are some other training agencies in New Providence, so I should say we are in a great place to recruit nurses locally because they are coming,” she said.

She stressed that Grand Bahama is not doing “too bad” in terms of the number of nurses.

Nurse Bain reported that to date there are no nurses in quarantine or isolation. “We are back to some normalcy; I would say about 85 percent, and we are promised some new nurses into GB. During COVID it was very hard to recruit anybody because everyone was closing their borders. And right now, the borders are opened, and that will allow us to recruit one or two nurses in specialties that we need.”

The activities planned for Nurses Month included a Church Service in Pelican Point on Sunday, May 1. On Thursday, May 5, is Midwives Day, and next week nurses will visit the schools to screen students and teachers and faculty.

“We are committed to a full week of school care to conduct screening… to make sure everyone is okay because people are stressed these days,” said Nurse Bain.

Thursday, May 12, is International Nurses Day – the birthday of pioneer nurse Florence Nightingale. Nurses will also gather at Jubilee Cathedral to hear from Rev Godfrey Williams who will give testimony about the care he received during COVID at the Rand. A Float Parade is also planned.

On Thursday, May 26, there will be a nurses luncheon and other educational and social events for nurses.