Nurses’ exams stalled as Nursing Council members engage in ‘go-slow’

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Minister of Health Sir Molwyn Joseph
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A number of prospective nurses are unsure if they will be able to sit a forthcoming examination which will qualify them to practice in Antigua and Barbuda, since members of the Nursing Council have taken a decision to engage in a ‘go-slow’.

The action is an attempt to persuade the government to pay them approximately $105,000 apparently owed in allowances since 2019. As a result, dozens of nursing students who are due to take the qualifying exams next Thursday have not yet received their timetables to do so.

“Because of the fact that the members of the council have slowed down the work that they have to do at the council, the issuing of the timetable that would normally have been done already, that has not happened as yet,” said the Nursing Council Chairperson, Nurse Margaret Smith.

“It’s unfortunate for students who have to go through this — the frustration of waiting to get their timetable. We know that the exams are due next Thursday but because the members have a slowing down on the delivery of doing what they have to do, it is taking a longer time for that to happen.”

She told Observer that she hopes the protest action will not last “too long” for the sake of the students who have to take their exam on October 6th.

She said however “But what is even more serious is the fact that nurses whose registration expires on December 31st may not be able to obtain re-registration which means they will not be able to practice/work as a nurse. This has implications for the availability of nurses who will be able to practice legally in both the private and public sectors. Considering the critical role nurses place in our health care system. This is serious.”

According to Nurse Smith, the majority of the members are taking action because they feel “insulted” by a gesture from the government to pay them a one-month stipend for July 2020 towards the balance of the total amount owed, and have opted not to accept the monies issued by the Treasury.

“I just don’t understand how they arrived at just pulling out a month in 2020,” she said, adding that “until today, council members have not received anything and they have been working for all of this time”.

Nurse Smith said various communications have been sent to Ena Dalso-Henry, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, as well as Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, but nothing has happened.

The Nursing Council head said it is unfortunate that council members have to resort to such measures to get what is owed to them and it is even more concerning that this is happening at a time when there is already a shortage of nurses in the country.

“Something needs to be done to satisfy the displeasure of the council members because it’s an insult. It’s a difficult situation and we don’t really want the students to have to suffer as a result of this,” she said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health offered brief comments regarding the issues affecting the Nursing Council and said the matter was previously addressed at Cabinet where it was agreed that a remedy would be sought.

Sir Molwyn could not be reached for comment.

The council is the regulatory body for the country’s nursing sector, ensuring that nurses take oral and written exams that will qualify them to operate as licensed practitioners in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as routinely testing their competence to deliver qualify care to patients.

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