Salute to enrolled assistant nurses

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I wish to salute a group of front-line workers who are often not mentioned or remain unrecognised when nurses are spoken of – the enrolled assistant nurses, otherwise known as the EAN.

Often times when mentioned is made of nurses, the reference is only directed to the registered nurses.

The Nursing Council of Jamaica, under the Nurses and Midwives Act of 1964, acknowledges three groups of nursing personnel – registered nurses, enrolled assistant nurses and registered midwives.

They are three separate associations and entities who work together to provide total nursing care for clients and patients.

The EANs work in health facilities across Jamaica, both private and public; as well as in some factories as industrial nurses, under the direct or indirect supervision from the registered nurses or medical practitioner.

Enrolled assistant nurses have been around for over 50 years in Jamaica and after so long, we still seem to be unrecognised.

Our identity is very clear – white uniforms with green stripe around our caps, or plain caps with a pin supplied by the Nursing Council of Jamaica filled in with green in its inner section. The men and women of this group work twice as hard as their counterparts, as they are mainly seen as the bedside practitioners.

I salute them for their hard work and dedication to Jamaica, land we love, and for serving as the gap fillers when our more illustrious counterparts seek greener pastures overseas. In short, we remain the mainstay of our healthcare system in ensuring that care is constant, even when staffing becomes skeletal.

KEEP WORKING HARD

It is sad that even when registered nurses go on strike, we hear of retired nurses being called out to work. Yes, there are occasions when retirees are at work, but it is the EANs who are seen on the wards, with maybe one registered nurse to supervise two wards with the EANs doing the work.

I implore my colleagues to “keep working hard, one day you will get your reward; even if men don’t, God will”.

The World Health Organization recognises this year as the Year of the Nurses and Midwives and as such, let me congratulate the EANs for their dedicated service to healthcare delivery in Jamaica. We have been through many storms, but we are still alive and dignified.

ESTHER CAMPBELL

President

JEANA