Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Jamaica (Ratification: 1984)

Article 2 of the Convention. National policy concerning nursing services and personnel. The Committee notes the National Health Policy 2006–15 prepared by the Ministry of Health, in particular the reference to the continuing migration of human resources which leaves a gap among critical occupational groups, including registered nurses, public health nurses and family nurse practitioners. In this connection, the Committee wishes to recall that the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted in 2010 the Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, which provides, among other guiding principles, that the international recruitment of health personnel should be conducted based on the principles of transparency, fairness and promotion of sustainability of health systems in developing countries. The Committee requests the Government to submit additional information on any difficulties related to the shortage of nursing personnel, the current situation of overseas migration of nurses, as well as any targeted measures, programmes or initiatives intended to address these matters.

Articles 3(1) and 7. Nursing education and training – Occupational safety and health of nursing personnel. Further to its previous comments, the Committee requests the Government to provide up-to-date information concerning: (i) the implementation of the decision of CARICOM Ministers on setting the qualification for entry-level professional nurses at the Bachelor level (BSc) by 2011; and (ii) the adoption of a national workplace policy on HIV/AIDS, which appears to have been submitted to the Senate for examination in early 2013. The Committee also requests the Government to provide a copy of the regional curriculum for education and training of nurses adopted in 2007 by the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development, as well as a copy of the draft policy of the Ministry of Health offering guidance to health care employees as to how to prevent HIV/AIDS at the workplace and how to cope with persons infected with HIV/AIDS.