On April 14th and 15th 2011, a meeting on the improvement of the education of Haitian nurses was held at Hunter College in NewYork. It brought together the members of 40 institutions involved with Haïti from the United-States and Canada. The organising group of this meeting, “Promoting Health in Haiti” of Hunter College obtained funds for the meeting from the City University of New-York, FOKAL, PADES and the Haïti innovation fund.
The president of the National association of licensed nurses of Haiti (ANILH), Mrs. Lucile Charles, in her opening speech, deplored the working conditions in the health care system in which the nurses must work. The association enthusiastically accepted the invitation to participate in the meeting because they are convinced of the necessity of improving their skills and bringing the professional standards to those of the twenty-first century.
After a presentation of the different programs already existent in Haïtian universities, nursing schools and hospitals, the participants were divided into 4 working groups to discuss the necessary changes in the teaching of nurses and the institutional health situation in Haiti. They came to no final conclusion. However, another meeting was planed for October in Haiti, to continue planning the changes necessary to improve nurses’ training and health services in Haiti.
Josiane Hudicourt-Barnes
