A significant red-carpet day may have gone unnoticed by most Vincentians, but for those involved in the Health profession, in particular in Nursing, September 3, 2018, marked an amazing milestone. On that day, 34 students embarked on the journey of a lifetime as the first full-time students in the Bachelors in Nursing programme offered by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. This programme is franchised from the University of the West Indies School of Nursing at the Mona campus, Jamaica.
The Bachelors Programme replaces the Associate Degree in Nursing and is of 4 years in duration rather than the 3 years in the Associate Degree programme. On successful completion of the Bachelor’s programme, the student nurses will write the Regional Examination for Nurse Registration (RENR), in order to be licensed to practice as nurses.
This transition to the Bachelors Programme brings Nursing education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines more in line with global standards for nursing practice and is also in keeping with the policy decision made by the Regional Nursing body and approved by CARICOM Ministers of Health back in 2006.