Why Jamaican Nurses Exodus will increase if no improvement in Health Care Sector

“This association is being challenged to identify critical issues including factors influencing retention and motivation of our nurses. A retention strategy is very necessary”

Comments by newly elected President of the NAJ (Nurses Association of Jamaica), Janet Farr on the continued exodus of Nurses from Jamaica

Jamaica is now in crisis mode as it relates to nurses.

We're now losing them to Developed World Countries to the point that newly-elected President of the NAJ (Nurses Association of Jamaica), Janet Farr, has declared that the Government has to step in as noted in “NAJ seeks gov’t intervention to curb migration of nurses”, published Monday, March 14, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

Registered nurses are leaving Jamaican after completing their training, as no retention policy exists for nurses. Without any bonding period after training, many go abroad, where the salaries are far more competitive to those in Jamaica.

Interestingly this is the same problem facing teaching, as it's not just Math and Science Teachers but other subject teachers such as English Teachers who can potentially earn higher salaries as noted in my blog article entitled “How JA$5 million salaries in Britain means English Teacher Exodus from Ministry of Education”.

Nurses recently negotiated an increase to their salaries for the contract period 2015 to 2017 “Nurses finally sign wage agreement”, published Saturday October 31, 2015 by Anastasia Cunningham, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

But these salaries increases are very small compared to what can be paid by countries such as England and Dubai, where English speaking Nurses are in demand.

Now would be a good time for Prime Minister Holness to unveil the removal of income Tax for Teachers and Nurses as promised during his 2016 General Election Campaign as noted in the article “Holness promising no income tax for teachers and nurses”, published Friday February 5, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

Otherwise another broken promise will only serve to accelerate the exodus.