Non Clinical Activities for Student Nurses in Jamaica

The American College of Emergency Physicians reports that in 2008 there were 23 hospitals on the island of Jamaica that treated 80 percent of healthcare requirements for its citizens. Many student nurses who wish to work in Jamaica are required to complete emergency medical training that is divided into both clinical and non-clinical educational criteria. Completing both educational criteria allows nurses in Jamaica to be more efficient and educated in the field of emergency medicine.

Death and Morbidity Conferences

• Student nurses in Jamaica are required to complete a series of death and morbidity conferences. The University Hospital of the West Indies requires their students to attend conferences every Monday for a period of one hour. The conference focuses on a variety of medical topics, namely responsibility issues, legalities, and other issues concerning working with people who are dying.

Presentations

• The University Hospital of the West Indies mandates that their students participate in a series of lectures that are held every Wednesday morning. The academic lectures discuss different disease models, hospital administration issues, and death or morbidity. Students are also required to present to other nursing students a topic that is highlighted on their syllabus. This must be completed within the first year of graduate school before the students are allowed hands-on experience with patients.

Medical Journals

• Although this is not a formal prerequisite for the nursing program, students are encouraged by the hospital university to read and be familiar with industry journals. The University Hospital of the West Indies features both a campus and online library that contains a plethora of emergency medical journals and books. Being familiar with these materials can increase a student's self-esteem and success when completing clinical rotations.

Coursework

• During a student nurse's academic career, she is required to complete certain coursework before her clinical rotations. The subjects of human anatomy, biochemistry, community medicine and pathology are just some of the many classes that must be passed to be moved into clinical activities. Visiting students of the University Hospital of the West Indies are required to successfully complete exams in these subjects in both their first and second postgraduate years.