At the 33rd Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Nurses Organization (CNO), which took place in Georgetown, Guyana, the nursing community of Saint Lucia proudly represented the island on the regional scene.
Under the subject “Nurses Strategically Positioned to Move Health Care Forward,” the conference, which took place from October 20th to 26th, 2024, brought together more than 300 nursing professionals to discuss urgent issues and developments in healthcare.
Fifteen Saint Lucian nurses actively participated in the conference, which was sponsored by the General Nursing Council of Saint Lucia, the Office of the Prime Minister, Nagicor Insurance, Simaie Insurance Agency, the Saint Lucia Nurses Association, and the Ministry of Health.
An influential panel discussion on workforce sustainability was one of the conference’s highlights. Kerthney Charlemagne-Surage, the chief nursing officer of St. Lucia, made a significant contribution to the conversation, highlighting the significance of developing a resilient nursing workforce in the region.
The appointment of three Saint Lucian nurses to important roles on the CNO Board was a memorable event for the island nation: Sherline Duncan, chair of the nominating committee; Debbie Brown Joseph, director of Region 3; and Alicia Batiste, assistant secretary. Along with these esteemed appointments, Saint Lucian nurses received two noteworthy honours in recognition of their accomplishments and commitment to the profession.
Sherline Duncan was given the Mavis Harney Clinical Nursing Practice Award, while Yolanda Alcindor was selected Saint Lucia’s Nurse of the Year.
Important subjects like nursing leadership, mental health, artificial intelligence in healthcare, and the role of nursing in health policy were all on the conference programme.
The conversations, which involved participants in examining solutions for the changing healthcare landscape throughout the Caribbean, demonstrated the Caribbean Nurses Organization’s dedication to improving nursing standards, promoting unity, and advancing healthcare policy.
The next meeting of Caribbean nursing experts will be held in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2026, the CNO Biennial Conference concluded.