By: Sugar Ray Thomas

President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), Dawn Marie Richards, says nurses must be provided with the necessary structural support to be fully effective in their profession.

She was speaking at NAJ’s ecumenical church service at the May Pen Seventh-day Adventist Church yesterday.

National Nurses Week, which runs from July 18 to July 24, will be celebrated under the theme “Our nurses. Our future. Empowered nurses save lives.”

Mrs. Richards stressed that the failure of leaders to provide support will result in the health and wellness of Jamaicans being at risk.

She also encouraged nurses to own their ability to save lives and improve health outcomes across the country.

However, she noted that this cannot be done alone as support from those in leadership is important to achieve these outcomes.