The pilot aims to create a long-lasting reciprocal relationship between the UK and Jamaica.
Last month, a cohort of nurses from the Caribbean Island of Jamaica were welcomed to the UK as part of a revolutionary international education partnership.
A pilot scheme between Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Health Education England and the Jamaican Ministry of Health aims to create a long-lasting reciprocal relationship between the UK and Jamaica.
The nurses will undertake a bespoke education programme over five months and will be evaluated against a framework of nationally recognised competencies.
Multi-disciplinary learning.
Working across both the adult and paediatric Critical Care Units, they will learn skills from multi-disciplinary teams.
Kimberly Reid-Ferro, one of the nurses who is working on Ward L06, said: “Coming on this journey was initially a struggle having to leave my family, but when I have received such a warm welcome and appreciation from the Leeds Trust staff, things have started to lighten up.
“I have been working on L06 so far and trust me, they are like family! On my first day I worked with Keren, she was such a sweetheart. She took really good care of me. Denise is my other mentor and she is like an angel. She looks after me very well. I am having a wonderful time with my new ICU family, just like I am used to back home.”
Enhancing care skills.
The program has been designed to enhance their care skills and enable them to implement positive changes in practice back in Jamaica.
Lisa Grant, Chief Nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are extremely proud to be part of this partnership that brings with it fantastic benefits both to us as a Trust but more importantly, to the Jamaican health system.
“This project gives us a real opportunity to contribute to the improvement of healthcare delivery worldwide, and we are really excited to work with the team and see how far this partnership can take us.”
A mutually-beneficial relationship.
Tracey Collins, Head of Global Nursing at Health Education England, said: “We welcome the Jamaican nurses who have arrived in the UK to begin their journey of learning in Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
“This is the start of what we hope will be a mutually-beneficial relationship with the Jamaican government that will see nurses from the Caribbean further develop their skills and competencies and UK multi-disciplinary staff travel to Jamaica to provide support for the nursing workforce there.
“This is an exciting partnership that will benefit patients both in the UK and Jamaica.”