November 10, 2003
Eleven students from the Associate Degree nursing program on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus attended the Caribbean Nurses' Organization (CNO) convention held on October 24 and 25 in Antigua, West Indies. It was the CNO's first ever convention for students. Nursing students from many of the CNO's 26 Caribbean member countries gathered to share information. The group also discussed plans to form a Caribbean Nursing Students Organization as an offshoot of CNO.
The UVI nursing students made an educational presentation titled "Nurse, Is My Blood Pressure OK?: Teaching Your Patients the Meaning and Importance of Systolic and Diastolic." It included four role-play scenarios illustrating the correct techniques of communicating health information to patients.
"This was an excellent opportunity for the students to become involved in a professional organization at the very beginning of their career," said Joan Marsh, chairwoman of the St. Croix campus Nursing Division. "Hopefully they will continue their active involvement as they progress through their careers, supporting the territorial nurses associations as well as the Caribbean Nurses Organization," she added.
At the convention Joanna Santana, vice president of the Student Nurses' Association (SNA) St. Croix chapter, discovered that throughout the Caribbean the profession faces similar challenges, including low salary, the migration of trained nurses and the lack of male nurses.
SNA President Paulette Jarvis said that gathering with so many other student nurses helped the members of her chapter to bond.
"If we work together from the beginning, we will succeed together," Jarvis said. "I'm trying to instill that."
The two-day convention marked the CNO's 46th year and the opening of the new CNO directorate in Antigua.
Marsh and nursing professor Janzie Allmacher accompanied the students to the convention.
The other UVI students attending the convention were Jennifer Chancellor, Judy Christian, Gena-Del Cole, Ivelisse Colon, Alicia Emmanuel, Kinara Gresham, Sharla James, Kenice Pemberton and MaryJane Katowa, SNO treasurer.
UVI News Release