The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Nurses Union (BNU) President Muriel Lightbourn has raised alarm over what she describes as unequal treatment in the hiring process for nurses, claiming qualified Bahamian nurses remain unemployed while applications from foreign workers are being fast-tracked.

Ms Lighbourn said she was informed of the imbalance from “reliable sources” in public health, calling the situation disappointing especially at a time when nursing shortages persist.

However, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has rejected the claims, acknowledging that while the process can move faster, applications are still being reviewed.

“We definitely made a request to the general public to hire local nurses, which is better for us,” he told The Tribune. “It’s better fit but at the Department of Public Health, the demand is not so great for nurses as compared with the Rand, the Princess Margaret Hospital and Sandilands.”

However, Ms Lightbourn said she was told that stacks of applications from local nurses awaiting employment are still sitting on desks, awaiting confirmation “while foreign nurses’ applications are being pushed forward.”

“I can say without a shadow of a doubt that when it comes to nursing, nurses train here in The Bahamas,” she said. “They are well trained, and so we are more than qualified, because number one, they have to first fit our standard, according to the nursing council.”

“And so I don't know why it is so difficult for us to hire these nurses that are waiting to be hired, and they are waiting on jobs to make a living in our own country.”

Her comments came as a registered nurse recently detailed her struggles to find employment and secure housing after being evicted from a government shelter while fleeing an abusive husband.

Ms Lightbourn said nurses are questioning why are they being overlooked.

“A lot of them are feeling like I must be need to be a foreigner,” she said. “I don’t know what it is like nurses are really hurting and nurses are sitting back and wondering, why is this happening?”

She noted that nursing interns are facing similar concerns, noting that many are still waiting to be vetted and hired.

She added that delays in receiving responses from ministry officials have further slowed the process.

“You go to the ministry and then when you go to the ministry, the ministry is telling you that, ‘oh, it's over by public service’ and then public service say, ‘I waiting on this from the ministry and nobody seems to be able to tell you what it is,” she said.

However, Dr Darville said applications have been forwarded to the necessary authorities and are under review “with a serious intent for employment.”

“We’re also looking for nurses who are prepared to be deployed to the family islands, and so a lot of individuals are not interested in deployment and so that's what really puts the delays because we're trying to match but that is far from the truth.” he said.

Health officials have previously noted a shortage of about 500 registered nurses in the country.