NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (July 29, 2021) — The Alexandra Hospital is in a better position to offer better quality health care to patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 and to deal with intensive care management thanks to a six-week training course offered to registered nurses by the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) Division of Health Sciences.

Registered Nurses Vetia Stapleton, Rhodina Sargeant, Gabriella Glasgow, and Shanelle Campton from the Alexandra Hospital,who were sponsored by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), participated in the training programme entitled “Nursing Care of the Acute Patient with COVID-19 and Intensive Care Management.” Their enrolment was facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA).

Ms. Shelisa Martin Clarke, Permanent Secretary in the ministry expressed gratitude for the invitation from the college to strengthen the health care services at the Alexandra Hospital.

“The training was geared at equipping the nurses with the “requisite competencies and skills necessary to provide essential care to COVID-19 positive patients. The training was delivered through online and in-person practical sessions.

 “The ministry is grateful for this partnership with the CFBC and looks forward to our nurses continuing to provide quality health care to those affected with COVID-19,” she said.

During the training course some of the areas of focus were General Nursing Care and Management (System approach), Core Principles in Assessing Severe Acute Respiratory Infection and admission; Management of Hypoxic Respiratory Failure, Arterial Blood Sampling and Blood Gas Analysis, Airway Management, Invasive Ventilation Principles, and Specific guidelines for the management of Sepsis in COVID-19.

Ms. Martin Clarke quoted the college as saying that nurses have been making a substantial contribution during the COVID-19 public health emergency in St. Kitts and Nevis, and they play a crucial role in carrying out COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Hence the urgent need to equip all nurses with the requisite competencies and skills to provide essential nursing care to COVID-19 positive patients.

She added that the learning institution had recognized its responsibility to residents and citizens of the Federation to augment the level of preparedness for containment of future waves of COVID-19 cases or clusters of cases.