The apparent concerted effort to destroy the nursing profession continues and is now being amplified under this administration.
Information coming to the Association indicates management has already taken the shocking decision to suppress both the Cluster Nurse Manager (Nursing Supervisor/Junior Matron) and the Senior District Health Visitor (DHV) positions. This will be done immediately after the present nursing staff who are holding this post proceed on retirement this year. Come 2020 these positions will be declared obsolete within the TRHA.
This is also in context that the TRHA has already made another important position, that of ‘General Manager of Nursing’ redundant two (2) years ago and also only gives nursing personnel short-term contract employment. Tobago nurses now face less opportunities for upward mobility within the profession as the TRHA, under the management of the Secretary of Health, continue to dismantle long establish organizational structures within nursing.
Councillor Dr. Agatha Carrington -
Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development
Nursing Supervisor positions are an integral position in the structure of nursing both nationally and internationally. It was only in 2012 the TRHA officially established its structure for Nursing Management and renamed the position “Cluster Nurse Manager” in the Secondary Care setting and Senior DHV in the Primary Care setting. How could in 2019, less than 10 years after with expand services, facilities, and a growing patient population, the TRHA could justify the need for less staff at the senior supervisory level.
These Nursing Supervisor position provide a supportive role for the Matron, in addition to providing administrative and technical services. They are the de facto hospital administrator between 4pm and 8am the following day as they monitor adherence to the administrative and human resource policies of the organization and operate as interdepartmental liaison between the wards, other healthcare institutions, inclusive of transfers to Trinidad. TTRNA notes that there is no corresponding reduction in the levels of structure for the Doctors structure.
TRHA CEO - Sheldon Cyrus
TTRNA condemns this continued assault on the nursing profession and will be writing to the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer for the immediate reversal of this decision as we being to mobilize the nursing personnel of Tobago to publicly denounce this move.
The Association believes Mr. Cyrus, who would have previously served as CEO of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), managing director at the TT Postal Corporation (TTPOST), and general manager legal and corporate services at National Flour Mills, would understand the importance of maintaining structure within an organization.
TTRNA calls on all nursing personnel to be cognizant of these trends which seek to undermine the nursing profession as we fast approach the upcoming local government, THA, and National elections. We must elect officials who listen to our challenges and not to their own selfish interest.
