Barbados Nurses Association: Reflections on 2023 and Goals for 2024

The Barbados Nurses Association extends season’s greetings to all its members, fellow nurses and health care professionals. As we enter the year 2024, we want to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and share with you some of our association’s goals and priorities for the future.

The year 2023 was a challenging but rewarding one for our profession. We faced a continuation of the unprecedented demands and pressures due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting mass global migration of nurses. However, as the backbone of our health-care system, we also demonstrated our resilience, courage, compassion and innovation in delivering high-quality care to our patients and communities.

The association advocated for the rights and interests of nurses, nursing assistants and nursing auxiliaries – better wages and working conditions, adjustment of allowances, uniform distribution, commencement of the fourth chance at RENR, safe staffing, workplace safety, enhancement of environmental conditions and the implementation of the speciality nurses. We have advocated for more funding and resources for nursing education, the acute care, public health, mental health and long-term care sectors. We have raised awareness and support for the issues that affect our profession, such as violence, burnout, staffing shortages and the need for mental health support for nurses. We also continued to work for recognition of the value and importance of nursing as a profession and a science to gain the respect and recognition of our peers, partners and policymakers.

The year 2024 will bring new opportunities and challenges. We must continue to defend our achievements and advance our interests in a changing political, environmental and economic landscape. Align our actions to the sustainable development goals and show how our service impacts the financial environment of our country. We must also continue to innovate and adapt to our patients and society’s evolving needs and expectations. We must never lose sight of our vision and values as we strive to uphold the highest standards of excellence and ethics in our practice.

As the President of the Barbados Nurses Association, I am proud of the achievements and contributions of our members, and I am grateful for your trust and support. I am also excited about the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead for us. During 2024, we will continue to work together to elevate our profession, improve our working conditions, and enhance our quality of care. We will also collaborate and strengthen our solidarity with other unions, associations, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and other stakeholders to address our nation’s health needs and challenges.

During the upcoming year, as members of the nurses’ union, we must stand in solidarity, utilising the power of collective action as we support each other and our allies in the various nursing, health care and social movements and causes that will arise in 2024. This reflects our vision of a united and empowered nursing workforce that can overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal. This also reminds us of the importance of supporting, learning from, and celebrating each other. We are stronger when we unite together. We can show that nurses are not only essential workers but also agents of change.

The President and the Executive Committee Members of The Barbados Nurses Association pledge to work with you and for you to represent your voice and interests at all levels, and to strengthen our professional association and union’s capacity and influence. We invite you to join us on this journey by getting involved in the various committees, special interest groups, educational sessions, activities, and campaigns. Together, we can make 2024 a year of growth, progress and success for our union and our profession.

Thanks to the members of the association for your dedication, service, and leadership.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year 2024! Happy New Year!

Regards

Dr Fay G Parris, President, BNA