Newsday, July 19, 2011 Increasing their salaries might be among the solutions to stem the migration of nurses, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said yesterday. Khan said the nursing shortage in the country is a serious problem and the nurses cannot be stopped from leaving. 

“What we have to do is to increase their salaries, hopefully and make them more comfortable,” Khan said in response to a question on the nurse shortage at the opening of the 19th Meeting of Regional General Nursing Councils at the Kapok Hotel, Saint Clair. At present the country has a shortage of some 3,000 nurses. ... Better

Trinidad Guardian, July 19, 2011 One of the ways to encourage nurses to remain in T&T is to boost their salaries. That was one of the suggestions by Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan in response to the migration of nurses from Trinidad and Tobago. Khan said the shortage of nurses was a “serious problem.” He added: “What I think we have to do is to start a different criteria and method of training nurses and I am thinking of introducing the patient care system where we will have patient care assistants going into the system and working themselves up to become nurses.” ... Minister

Newsday, June 27, 2007 The firing of the nurse and enrolled nursing assistant will be referred to the Ministry of Labour tomorrow morning if the management of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) fails to meet with the Public Services Association (PSA). PSA first vice president Stephen Thomas yesterday disclosed that last Friday Chief Executive Officer Charles Mitchell responded to two letters sent by the union earlier this month. Mitchell indicated that the matter was passed to the general manager of human resources Jennifer Parks who would communicate with Thomas. He has not heard from Parks. Meanwhile, the dismissed workers have not been paid by the NCRHA for May. ... No

Newsday, June 16, 2007 PSA President Jennifer Baptiste-Primus is confident that the nurses fired by the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) will be rehired because due process was not followed. “Those two nursing personnel must be reinstated,” Baptiste-Primus asserted. She said it was incredible for the nursing staff to be fired “and now the Nursing Council is conducting an investigation to determine whether disciplinary action could be taken. Disciplinary action has already been taken,” Baptiste-Primus said yesterday after the launch of the PSA’s wealth creation initiative at Hilton Trinidad. The nurses were dismissed on May 25 for the second degree burns received by baby Justin Paul at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital on April 17. ... PSA

Newsday, June 12, 2007 The Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) is calling for the Nursing Council to have a “speedy hearing” for the nurse and enrolled nursing assistant (ENA) fired by the North-Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) on May 25, for second degree burns suffered by newborn Justin Paul on April 17 at Mt Hope Women’s Hospital. The Council is the regulatory body for nurses for adjudication in accordance with the Nurses and Midwives Registration Act No 30 of 1960. Following investigations, Health Minister John Rahael announced on May 24 that the nurses were fired and the matter referred to the Nursing Council for action. In a newspaper advertisement on Sunday, the TTRNA said it empathised with the family of Paul recognising the pain caused by the injury and did not condone any act or acts which jeopardised the health and welfare of patients. ... Group

Rowan Gould, Trinidad Express, May 30, 2007 Nurses have been told to work to rule at medical institutions from today. It came yesterday as the Public Services Association criticised what it called the "reckless behaviour" of Health Minister John Rahael following the dismissal of two of the nurses involved in an incident during where baby Justin Paul was burnt at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. She said incidents like this occurred because the NCRHA is suffering a shortage of nursing staff, and nurses are being asked to perform duties not required in their job specifications. "We strongly advise nurses not to carry out functions for which they are not trained," she said. "Neither of the nurses who were held responsible have training in neonatology but yet still they were expected to function on this ward." ... Nurses

Lara Pickford-Gordon, Trinidad & Tobago Newsday, May 30, 2007 The Public Services Association (PSA) yesterday criticised the “kangaroo court” of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) which fired a nurse and enrolled nursing assistant (ENA) “with immediate effect” last Friday, a day after Health Minister John Rahael announced the nurses were dismissed at Cabinet’s post-cabinet media briefing. The PSA indicated that it would not be letting the matter die and is seeking legal counsel and “act on the advice given” since the nurses were not given a chance to defend themselves. They were verbally fired last Friday when they attended a tribunal hearing they were summoned to attend and received written notification via hand delivered letters on Friday night at their homes. ... PSA

Trinidad & Tobago Newsday, May 27, 2007 The Nursing Council of Trinidad and Tobago has reminded nurses of their primary responsibility “to protect and enhance the well being and dignity of the persons entrusted” to their care. In newspaper advertisements published yesterday, the Council referred to the Code of Professional Conduct which governs nursing practice, conduct and relationships. The notice continued, “The Code also directs the nurse to ensure that no action or omission on his/her part or within his/her sphere of influence is detrimental to the condition or safety of the patients and their family. ..." Nurses

Louis B Homer, Trinidad & Tobago Express, May 19, 2007 Another batch of medical personnel from Cuba yesterday arrived in Trinidad on a special Aeropostal flight, to work with the Ministry of Health on two-year contracts. The team comprised 22 doctors and 18 nurses, all trained in specialised fields of medicine. The doctors' team is made up of 12 males and 10 females, while there were 15 female and three male nurses. They are to work at State-run health institutions. Project co-ordinator, Dr Renaul Contreras, who arrived in Trinidad from Cuba three weeks ago, was at the airport to meet the team, recruited through a special arrangement between the Health Ministry and the government of Cuba. ... Cuban

Newsday, May 11, 2007 A delay in salaries owed to nurses caused a huge protest yesterday outside the Accounts Office of the San Fernando General Hospital after some 150 disgruntled student nurses and nurses’ assistant trainees blocked the entrance of the Administrative Office because they had not yet received last months salary in addition to a backlog, of monies previously owed to them. The trainee nurses and nurses’ assistants argued that they have not been paid since March. They also complained about late pay in December and short pay in January and February. ... Sando

Elizabeth W Allard, Trinidad & Tobago Express, January 9, 2007 Nurses at the Psychiatric Ward of the Scarborough Regional Hospital are threatening sick-out action within 48 hours unless urgent refurbishment work is are done at the Psychiatric Unit of the hospital. Hospital sources said yesterday there was one toilet facility for both male and female staff, there were no security lights outside the ward and, at times, visitors handed over illegal items to patients through windows on the ward. ... Tobago