The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FIFTEEN nurses in Grand Bahama received their certification as nurse leaders yesterday after completing the 12-month Leadership for Change (LFC) programme in Freeport.

At a graduation ceremony at Le Chateau on the Green Senator Tanisha Tynes commended the nurses and organisers of the programme, run for the first time outside New Providence. Representatives from the Nurses Association of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (NACB) attended, including President Paulette Cash and Willimae Stewart, Lead Trainer of the LFC in the Bahamas.

Mrs Tynes said the Bahamas needs strong nursing leaders who are critical thinkers and able to address health issues and impact policy development. “The future of nursing looks bright as evidenced by these 15 nurse leaders who will be a part of the trendsetters for nurses in the Bahamas,” she said. “This is the first cohort conducted outside of Nassau, and the success of this programme will determine whether the NACB has the fortitude and capacity to afford other nurses in the Family Islands to also have the programme at their doorstep.”

The course was launched on June 30, 2014, and participants received training in areas including health systems redesign and health trends, authentic leadership and effective organisation and management.

The 15 nurses, who are receiving their international nurse leadership certification, will joint the millions around the world who are among the cadres of nurse leaders.

Mrs Tynes reminded the nurses of the government’s commitment to the implementation of universal health care coverage by January 2016, to improve acceptability, availability, affordability of health care for citizens and residents of the Bahamas. She also noted that the operation of a private facility for cardiac stem cell surgery opens new educational opportunities for health care professionals in the Bahamas.

The NACB is an inter-dependent body of nurses in the Bahamas, which serves as a premier voice for nurses on all matters pertaining to the profession nationally, regionally and internationally. Its main purpose is the advancement of nursing education, professional developmen and socio-economic welfare of nurses. The organisation is affiliated to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which a is federation of more than 132 national nurses associations, representing more than 16 million nurses worldwide .