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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 15, 2025 – The growing crisis of nurse shortages across the Caribbean took center stage this week as policymakers and the Regional Nursing Body (RNB) convened in Barbados for the 52nd Annual General Meeting. The forum highlighted both the urgent challenges and the pressing need for bold collaboration in safeguarding the region’s healthcare systems.

A Sector Under Strain

Speakers underscored the alarming nurse-to-patient ratios and rising burnout across the region’s hospitals and clinics, warning that without decisive action, patient care and the goal of universal health coverage could be seriously compromised. The shortage, exacerbated by high migration rates and an inability of small island states to compete with wealthier nations’ salaries, has become a recurring theme in regional health policy discussions.

In his feature address, Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, Barbados’ Minister of Health and Wellness, praised the RNB’s contributions over the past five decades but reminded participants that the profession now stands at “a critical crossroad.”

“You are being called not only to sustain the gains of the past, but to lead the transformation of the profession, to shape new models of care, and to prepare our workforce to face complex health challenges – from the spread of misinformation through ‘Dr. Google’ to the health impacts of climate change,” Dr. Walcott declared.

He further warned of “troubling trends” in nurse retention:

“Too many of our nurses are leaving for greener pastures… Staffing shortages lead to longer shifts, stress, burnout, and inevitably compromise the quality of care.”

CARICOM Sounds Alarm

Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, emphasized the severity of the global context. She pointed to the State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025 (SOWN), which revealed that one in seven nurses worldwide now works outside their country of birth.

“This dynamic poses significant challenges to health systems in low- and middle-income countries like ours. It is imperative that the Region substantially increases investment in education, recruitment, and retention to protect the resilience of our health workforce,” she stressed.

Regional Nursing Body Pushes for Solutions

Ms. Nester Edwards, RNB Chair and Chief Nursing Officer of Grenada, echoed the warnings, cautioning that without urgent measures, the Caribbean risks falling short of universal health coverage targets.

“Improving working conditions, offering incentives, and embracing flexible working hours must all be part of our strategies. We must also build the leadership, research, and policy development skills of the next generation of nurses and midwives,” she said.

Next Steps: Action Plan in Motion

The three-day meeting is expected to produce a comprehensive action plan addressing migration and mobility of health workers, while reviewing the SOWN 2025 findings and examining results from the April 2025 Regional Examination for Nurse Registration.

Photos released by the Ministry of Health in St. Kitts and Nevis showed local nurses currently in training, underscoring the urgent importance of investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals.

As the Caribbean faces this deepening challenge, the message from the RNB gathering was clear: only courage, collaboration, and decisive investment will ensure the region has the skilled nursing workforce it needs to weather the crises ahead.

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