Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, says the country’s nursing problem is no longer a lack of registered nurses but a lack of specialists, and the government is paying to train 600 nurses to fill the gap.
Speaking at the opening of Tensie Mae Robinson (TMR) Medical Limited, a private healthcare facility in Portmore, St Catherine, Dr Tufton said the ministry has set aside $900 million this year to train 600 nurses in various specialist disciplines, according to The Gleaner, published on 27 October.
“We don’t have a problem with RNs; we have a problem with specialists,” he said.
Where the shortages are
According to the minister, Jamaica has a steady supply of general registered nurses but faces critical shortages in three areas:
- Oncology nursing: caring for people with cancer, including giving chemotherapy safely and managing its side effects.
- Nephrology (renal) nursing: caring for people with kidney disease, including running dialysis.
- Critical care nursing: looking after the sickest patients in intensive care, on ventilators and multiple infusions.
All three are areas where demand is rising worldwide as populations age and rates of cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, the main drivers of kidney failure, climb.
A scholarship with a bond
Training is supported through the Dr Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship, which helps registered nurses pursue specialised training in high-demand fields. Recipients must work in the national health system for at least three years after completing their studies.
Dr Tufton said specialised training improves patient care and gives nurses career advancement paths in both the public and private sectors. He urged private facility owners to invest in human resource planning, not just buildings and diagnostic equipment, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to partnering with private providers.
Why specialists are hard to keep
Caribbean countries, like many in Africa and Asia, have long seen experienced nurses recruited to the UK, the United States and Canada. Specialist nurses are especially sought after: an ICU or dialysis nurse with several years’ experience is among the most employable health workers in the world. Bonded scholarships, which require a period of local service in return for funded training, are one of the main tools governments use to make sure public investment benefits patients at home first.
Jamaica’s approach is a shift in emphasis: rather than simply training more generalist nurses, many of whom may emigrate, it targets the specific skills its hospitals cannot function without.
Lessons for nurses elsewhere
The same pattern, enough generalists but too few specialists, exists in many countries. Nigeria’s teaching hospitals report shortages of oncology and critical care nurses, and Ghana and Kenya have expanded specialist and post-basic programmes. For an individual nurse, a recognised specialist qualification can:
- open promotion routes and specialist allowances at home;
- make you more competitive for jobs abroad, if that is your plan, often at a higher grade;
- and, most importantly, make you safer in caring for very sick patients.
If you take a bonded scholarship anywhere, read the terms carefully: how many years of service, where, and what happens if you leave early. Bond repayment can be large.
Related: How to become an oncology nurse · Nigeria’s oncology nurse shortage · Master’s scholarships for nurses · Highest-paying nursing specialties
Source: The Gleaner (Jamaica), 27 October 2026, reporting remarks by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.