The finalisation of a long-awaited long leave agreement for nurses, the outcome of a job evaluation exercise, and the creation of additional posts within the nursing service top the Barbados Nurses Association wish list for the Budget.
The government’s financial proposals will be delivered on Monday at 4 p.m., in the House of Assembly by Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn, are widely anticipated as Barbadians grapple with rising living costs and growing uncertainty over how escalating tensions in the Middle East could affect the small island economy.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Thursday, BNA President Dr Fay Parris said the association has engaged Government on several matters over the past year and hopes to see concrete outcomes announced in the budget.
“We’ve been in discussion over the last year and over the last couple of weeks with the [relevant ministries], and we have a couple of things that we would like to see come within the budget,” she said.
Among the priorities is the long leave arrangement for nurses, which has been under discussion with the authorities.
“One of the things we want to see is the finalising of the long leave agreement with the nurses and how that will look like, in terms of the long leave.”
The association also expects clarity on the long-running job evaluation exercise affecting public sector workers, particularly as it relates to nursing salaries.
“We also eagerly looking forward to information coming out from the job evaluation exercise.”
Parris added that the association has advocated for an adjustment to the entry-level salary scale for nurses.
“One of the things that we are concerned about in nursing is that our entry level at Z 23, we were advocating for that to move to Z16. We’ve been in discussion about that and we’re looking forward to see the outcome.”
Beyond compensation, the BNA president said the sector also requires additional staffing and stronger support for nursing education to address workforce shortages.
“The other thing that we’re looking forward to would be additional posts within the nursing service, both in the clinical area and the academic area.”
Parris warned that shortages within the academic side of the profession threaten the country’s ability to train enough nurses to sustain the health system.
“The academic area is suffering at this moment, so we want to see how that can be transformed so that we can produce enough nurses in Barbados to support the clinical area.
“So we’re looking forward to these areas being ratified in the budget.” (SZB)
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