Dear Editor,
As a nurse who loves people and cares deeply for my patients, my heart is heavy today. I love being a nurse, and I cherish witnessing miracles happen before my eyes, even when situations seem dire.
However, after over a decade of nursing and working at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, I’ve lost some of my passion. The things I see happening in that hospital amaze me daily—in all the wrong ways.
The hospital boasts about “quality meets care,” but how can that be when patients are not the main focus? How can you talk about providing quality care when there are 18 patients and only 2 nurses?
How can one nurse effectively care for 8 individuals during an 8-hour shift? To make matters worse, some nurses who are willing to sacrifice their time to work extra shifts are being refused. This leaves nurses struggling on all shifts because the deputy acts as though the overtime or sessions are coming out of her own salary. So again, I ask: how can we boast about quality care when we don’t have fully covered shifts?
Another looming issue is the “change list.” The management seems to think this will solve the issues we’re facing, but it certainly will not. While I agree that nurses need exposure to other wards, this process must be done strategically. You cannot uproot a group of nurses and place them on unfamiliar wards where they have no prior experience.
Such decisions put patients at risk. The situation becomes even worse when nurses are placed on wards against their will. January will likely see a surge in absences and sick leave, bringing us right back to the same issues of short staffing and inadequate patient care.
It’s time for a meeting between the matron and nurses, with no middlemen involved. Using the global nurse shortage as an excuse is not a solution—it’s a tired refrain. There’s been no effort to improve working conditions, and it’s taking a toll on all of us.
Now I see there are openings for shift supervisors. While I agree that qualified nurses should be compensated for the responsibilities of running shifts, this also raises concerns about fairness and transparency. The favoritism in this hospital is absurd. Nurses with over 12 years of experience are still treated as regular staff, while those with only 5 years of experience are promoted and given responsibilities they are not yet prepared for.
My main focus has always been patient care. So, I ask: how can a nurse with 5, 6, or 7 years of experience surpass one with 14 or more years? How can the hospital claim to prioritize patient care while ignoring the expertise and value of its most experienced staff? If new policies are being created, why not promote nurses who have the experience to implement them effectively?
It’s time for the nurses’ association to intervene. Nurses need to stand together, but unfortunately, some are too busy currying favor with management. This favoritism blinds us to the bigger picture and corrupts our profession. As nurses, we must remember our core purpose: to advocate for our patients.
Just because someone benefits from management doesn’t mean they should turn a blind eye to what is right and fair. As a collective body, we need to do better.
We’ve reached this point because we’ve failed to stand united. Favoritism has divided us, and we are already falling. If we don’t stand together now, we will collapse completely. Today, it’s my issue—tomorrow, it could be yours. If we don’t change, only God can help us now.
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MSJMC is a money making thing I used to work there for a very long time and what this nurse is saying is 100% accurate…..so many things I can say but what use would that do
Most of the nurses especially the fresh ones is all about a pay check now nothing is wrong wanting to get paid for your work but as a nurse you must remember patient care
The things I’ve seen and witnessed and heard of with nurses at MSJMC sometimes I wonder if am the crazy one ….. jus an EG out of many many other things can’t talk about everything cause even death is involved in some incidents
A nurse was treating a female patient in the ER and because that nurse was seeing the females boyfriend she completely ignored protocol and had the most horrible attitude with the patient mind you the patient had no idea that her boyfriend was seeing that nurse and to make matters worse she met the boyfriend as a patient in that same ER room tending to wound he had on this hand
So many stories I have my 13 years I’ve been up there y’all would think I was lying
The more mature seasoned nurses are real nurses but the fresh ones not ready yet and management well that’s a whole other story so much back biting fighting down each other carrying news so much going on in that place at one point we started to wonder if that place was built on a graveyard…. You have to strong mentally to work in that place u can’t be soft they will eat u up spite u out and still feed you to the dogs
And do you know the most àmazing thing I have acknowledged for myself the Cubans always work together they are always together they don’t fight amongst themselves I never once heard or seen anything out of order with them they are very friendly and easy to work with they treated me better than my own …. In all due MSJMC needs a whole new intervention cause that place is a Mila second aways from HELL.
Unbelievable
It is so unfortunate that nurses always air their dirty laundry in public rather than seek redress internally. I work in the hospital, like all workplaces there are issues/ conflicts. Everyone needs to be on the same page. Staff tug against each other, often absent, want positions they don’t deserve and don’t want to educate themselves. They hold malice and blames someone else for their experience. Yes, the nurse may have 12 years experience working but what impact has she made. Is it just working for a paycheck or is she genuinely concerned for the patient. I have seen younger nurses like myself more interested in doing their job than some of the senior nurses, no wonder they are elevated. Stop gripping and do your job! It is a calling. I agree that things can improve but instead of gripping all day long speak with the relevant people and address your concerns. The media is not the solution. The advice they provide us with is not always the best. So be a professional and speak to manager or whomever to solve the issues you are having.
Tired! Tired! of this airing of dirty laundry in public
She seems to know all that is going wrong in the Hospital and is bitter as gal with every thing that she magnifies as a problem and seems not to be productive because of being busy looking to see what is wrong and all her criticism if she really cares is to get cracking and help to make things better do her work and give 100 percent not a Florence Nightingale recipient at all in every working environment they are those that work hard those that looks busy working and those that watches on and play the boss when the are not she wants to be a boos and is bitter like hell with every thing
@Sharon Patriot Lycorish.
It’s not just unbelievable. It’s an indictment of the incompetent Government that is the Gaston Browne Government.
With people like you nothing will change. Biggin Up each other is a cover for incompetence.
A Trinidadian doctor had to be brought to release the pressure to release the pressure on Paul Quinn’s brain.
Rather than addressing the fact Antigua MSJ Hospital does not have such trauma team on staff; they “bigg-up” themselves in participating.
What a country.
Kenya cancelled its deal with the Indian businessman who was indicted by the US Attorney General NY District. Will Gastong do the same with the Air Peace deal? No chance in hell. He is too busy running around with hat in hand.
Wilderness your being bias that another story
That person that wrote the article are 1001% correct who feels it knows it I think for supervisory job should be a promotion according to how u work , years experience and knowledge of operations , hard working etc I think they should promote persons within the department instead of reapplying all over again. Mae the staff feel like they can work to accomplish something rather than nothing in the future, working a job for 10 years plus in the same position when there’s an opening to step up u have to apply again when u can easily promote that individual , hr u need to think about that , appreciate your staff end of year and no awards ceremony to appreciate employees of year , month nothing of that sort 90 percent of work place does that sblmc does nothing Let the staff feel appreciated as well instead of these petty things I see you all doing and studying
We really do not have a hospital, what we gave is a horse-pital
Nurse, I feel your pain. I left Holberton some 35 year ago and it’s disturbing that the Nursing profession is still struggling for the identity it deserves. You guys have unlimited power and should be getting what you’re worth. Is it that the upper management of Nursing is picked off by the Health Minister? You’re still dressed in all white. You’re still showing up to work 5 eight hours shifts weekly. Those things are arcane. The management should be calling for 3 twelve hours shifts weekly. You’ll be less burned out with more time for your families. When management is in a spot with staff shortage who wouldn’t wasn’t to work an extra shift that would include overtime hours? I was told the Matron wasn’t open to 12 hours shifts. You guys have a Nursing Association which tells me that you have a voice in who’s in leadership. Use your votes effectively and ensure that you have folks who will represent Nurses, and not the Minister of Health. You guys shouldn’t be hurting like you are if you’re sticking together. You must stick together or continue to get divided and conquered. Get up stand up, stand up for your rights.
I have read some of the above comments.They are referring to the Nurse as a she.There are male Nurses up there as well at Mount St.John Hospital.Nurses with your RN,come North and make more money with less stresses.
Antigua is clown Town in general, of you go to that hospital you might come back out with a worse problem than you went in with. Just PATHETIC….
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