Stakeholders across the education, finance and health sectors have issued a collective call to recognise nurses as critical to national productivity and economic growth, urging stronger investment in their resilience, care and professional support.

The calls came against the backdrop of the Nurses Association of Jamaica’s (NAJ) 55th island conference, held recently at the Moon Palace Hotel in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

The stakeholders noted that without a thriving nursing workforce, economic stability and national development are at risk.

“Your work directly enables the productivity [of our nation],” said Delroy Williams, principal of Iona High and keynote speaker for the conference. ”A healthy population is a productive population. You [nurses] are the frontline soldiers in this battle. When you are empowered, healthy and supported, the entire country benefits.” 

Williams stressed that investing in nurses’ education, working conditions and mental health should be a priority especially as the work of the professionals extend beyond clinical practices.

“You’re not just a service, you’re a vital infrastructure,” he said while highlighting that their resilience cannot rely on personal sacrifice alone. He said it must be built through fair compensation, training, supportive policies and services.

“A cared-for nurse is a productive nurse,” he said. “We must recognise that the well-being of our nurses is not a luxury. It’s a critical component of a sustainable healthcare system and a strong economy.” 

He said as many continue to face burnout and other pressures, “we, therefore, have a choice to make. We can continue to view the health of our nurses as a secondary consequence, or we can recognise that investing in their well-being is the simplest and most critical investment we can make in our healthcare system. This is a collective responsibility, and it calls for collective action.”

Commending nurses on their resilience, Rashell McLeary of JN Bank’s Public Sector Engagement Unit, also emphasised that partnerships are vital to strengthening the nursing workforce.

“Every day, you, our nurses, stand at the heart of our healthcare system, providing compassion, skill and dedication to preserve the health and dignity of people from all walks of life. Through education and collaboration, we can secure a future where your professionals and our nation continue to thrive. We remain steadfast in our commitment to helping you nurses and your families build and secure your futures,” she shared.

Officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness also acknowledged the critical link between nursing resilience and economic growth, noting that nurses are a vital part of the social fabric of society.

In his virtual address to the conference, Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the theme served as a timely reminder that the well-being of nurses is intricately connected to both population health and the strength of the economy. He noted that the ministry is actively addressing pressing challenges in the profession, including workforce migration, compensation and working conditions. 

“Creating stronger and supportive working environments for our nurses form part of our national health strategy,” he said, while emphasising the upgrades and construction of new health facilities, the compensation review that has improved pay across multiple health professional categories, the creation of permanent posts for all health categories and bilateral agreements being pursued to strengthen workforce stability and collaboration. 

Building on this, Patricia Ingram-Martin, chief nursing officer in the ministry, announced new initiatives aimed at enhancing nurses’ professional development, while encouraging the professionals to take advantage of the opportunities to upskill while taking care of themselves.

“The ministry is responding to the needs of the staff, especially as it relates to training. We acknowledge that it can be onerous and financially taxing for nurses to leave their work and home to take up residence in Kingston to access specialist training programmes and so we have collaborated with the western region to pilot a training site there, allowing the staff in that region to be trained closer to their home. This programme commenced October 13 and we are hoping to replicate this strategy in other regions,” she disclosed.