We are more than caregivers, says Nurse of the Year, Fione Collins

There was a quiet authority in the way Fione Collins addressed the room — less a ceremonial overview, more a reflection shaped by lived experience at the frontlines of care. As the 2025-2026 LASCO/Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) Nurse of the Year, Collins used the International Nurses Day press briefing, held on Tuesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, not just to look back, but to challenge how Jamaica — and the wider world — understands and supports its nurses.

Framing her address around purpose and service, Collins described nursing as far more than a profession. 

“We are more than just caregivers,” she affirmed. “We are the heartbeat of healthcare, nation builders and daily lifesavers.” 

It was a statement that anchored her reflections on a year defined by both impact and introspection. 

From community outreach to mentorship-driven initiatives, her projects focused on strengthening both patient engagement and peer support within the profession. Her tenure, she explained, was marked by deliberate efforts to strengthen patient care, mentor emerging nurses, and advocate for a more responsive and supportive healthcare system. Reflecting on the support systems that shaped her journey, Collins also acknowledged the role of longstanding partners in amplifying the programme’s impact. 

“LASCO has been very supportive — showing up at our functions, and also intentional about empowering us through the Nurse and Nursing Student of the Year Awards programme. The camaraderie has been good,” Collins said.

But beyond her own journey, Collins used the moment to spotlight a broader truth — that the effectiveness of healthcare systems is directly tied to how well nurses are supported. 

Drawing on this year’s theme, ‘Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives’, she made a compelling case that empowerment is not aspirational — it is essential. According to Collins, an empowered nurse is one who is educated, respected, included in decision-making and supported both professionally and emotionally. More importantly, she stressed empowerment has tangible outcomes.

“An empowered nurse detects complications earlier, advocates more effectively, leads with confidence in emergency situations,” she noted, adding that, “Empowerment is not optional, it is lifesaving.” 

Her remarks also balanced pride with realism. While celebrating Jamaica’s nurses for their global reputation of resilience and compassion, Collins acknowledged the ongoing challenges facing the profession, including burnout, workforce shortages, migration pressures, and mental health strain. These, she argued, require more than recognition — they demand structural solutions. 

Among the reigning LASCO Nurse of the Year’s calls to action were improved staffing levels, greater access to continuous education, stronger mental health support systems, and meaningful inclusion of nurses at leadership tables. She emphasised that policy must move beyond discussion into implementation, ensuring that nurses are equipped with the tools, protections, and opportunities needed to thrive. 

Collins also highlighted global research showing that investment in nursing leads to measurable health gains, reinforcing her appeal to government and stakeholders to act with urgency. “Investing in nursing is investing in the future of healthcare itself,”
she emphasised.

Her address followed a narrative of legacy, particularly as the Nurses Association of Jamaica marks its 80th anniversary. Honouring past and present generations of nurses, she positioned the profession as one that has continuously evolved, while holding firm to its core of compassion. 

Closing on a note of resolve, Collins encouraged nurses across Jamaica to recognise their own influence and step fully into their potential. Her message was clear, that the future of healthcare depends not only on the presence of nurses but on how  empowered they are to lead with it. 

Speaking at the event, Danielle Cunningham, LASCO Corporate Communications Manager, commended Collins on her poise and the NAJ for working with purpose. She also reaffirmed LASCO’s and the LASCO Chin Foundation’s ongoing support for the programme and the nursing community. 

“Fione’s journey over the past year truly embodies the spirit of this programme — dedication, leadership and heart,” Cunningham expressed. “At LASCO Chin Foundation, we are proud to stand with our nurses, not only in celebrating their achievements, but in support of their continued growth and impact across Jamaica’s healthcare system.”

As National Nurses’ Week approaches on July 18-24, Collins’ reflections serve as both a powerful close to her tenure  and a forward-looking call to action, one that places nurses firmly at the centre of building stronger, more resilient healthcare future. 

Activities of National Nurses’ Week will include an opening church service on July 18 at the May Pen Seventh-day Adventist Church, followed by the Founder’s Day Awards Ceremony, the NAJ’s 69th Annual Summer School, and the prestigious Gertrude Swaby Lecture. The week will culminate with the LASCO/NAJ Nurse of the Year and Nursing Student of the Year Awards, where a new awardees will officially assume the roles from Fione Collins and Colie Lyn, the 2025-2026 LASCO Nursing Student of the Year.