The President of the Dominica Nurses Association, Registered Nurse Joanna Laurent-Blaize, is urging nurses across the Commonwealth of Dominica to make compassion a cornerstone of patient care. In a public appeal, she stressed that patients should receive not only professional medical attention but also kindness, dignity and genuine care from every healthcare worker they encounter.
Laurent-Blaize, speaking on behalf of the association, reminded nurses that their role extends beyond clinical duties. She emphasised that the manner in which care is delivered can have a lasting impact on a patient's recovery and overall experience within the health system. The appeal applies to nurses in hospitals, clinics and community settings throughout the island, from Roseau to Portsmouth and the Kalinago Territory.
The call comes at a time when healthcare workers in Dominica and across the Caribbean continue to face heavy workloads and demanding conditions. Laurent-Blaize acknowledged these pressures but insisted that compassion must remain central to nursing practice. She encouraged nurses to treat every patient as they would wish their own family members to be treated, and to remember that small acts of kindness can make a significant difference.
The Dominica Nurses Association has long advocated for the welfare of nurses and for high standards of patient care. Laurent-Blaize's statement reflects the association's ongoing commitment to both. She also thanked nurses for their dedication and sacrifice, particularly during recent public health challenges, and called on them to continue upholding the values of the profession.
Patients and their families, she said, place their trust in nurses at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Meeting that trust with empathy and respect is not optional but essential. The association plans to continue promoting compassionate care through training, mentorship and public awareness, ensuring that the human side of healthcare remains as strong as the clinical side.
