Study on competence of university-trained nurses needed- UWI Nursing School Director

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 October 2024, 8:28 by Denis Chabrol

Dr Oscar Ocho

Director of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) School of Nursing in Trinidad, Dr Oscar Ocho says nurses in the Caribbean are more academically qualified but cannot be put the theory into practice, resulting in the need for a study on the impact of professionalisation on the profession.

“We are churning out professional nurses who have their degrees but we’re not sure if there is temperature,” said Dr Ocho who is also  Director of the Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery (Leadership and Policy).

Addressing the opening of the conference of the Caribbean Nursing Organisation being held this week in Guyana, he said unlike decades ago when nurses were being trained on the job, many are graduating from universities with little practice.

“Part of the reality that we have to face. We are churning out people who have book sense but cannot translate a lot of what they have learnt into practice and part of the challenge that we are facing is when you have so many nurses with so limited number of patients, what will be the quality of the experience during their training,” he said to loud applause by delegates and invitees.

While Dr Ocho stated categorically that “I fully support the push for a more qualified nurse” because that results in better patient outcomes, he recommended that the Caribbean conducts a study on what is happening in the region compared to the international community.

He said in contrast to years ago when the high quality Caribbean nurses were in demand, there was now anecdotal information that the United Kingdom was sending back a number of nurses to the region. “The reality, and the anecdotal reports are showing, that even some of those who have gone to the UK are being flown back,” he said.