Registered Nurses reading their oath.
CAY HILL--Thirty-one persons took the oath to serve as Registered Nurses (RNs) during a ceremony at the Belair Community Centre on Friday, November 1.
The two-year RN course was coordinated and facilitated by SMMC’s Education Department team Tony Pantophlet and Brunilda Illidge in association with the “Institutopa Formashon den Enfermeria” (IFE) in Curaçao.
Of the 31 graduates, 15 are from St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), four from White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF), three from Mental Health Foundation (MHF), one from the Department of Public Health; two from the Ambulance Department; one from French St. Martin, three from Saba and two from St. Eustatius.
SMMC Medical Director Dr. Felix Holiday told the graduates during his congratulatory speech that he felt honoured to address and congratulate them on their achievement. He expressed his admiration for the courage and resilience showed by the students during their studies despite the many overwhelming odds they faced.
Minster of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Wycliffe Smith delivered a congratulatory address at the ceremony. He encouraged SMMC and IFE to maintain the relationship and to continue building on it with St. Maarten’s local educational institutions.
Member of Parliament (MP) William Marlin shared words of praise and encouragement for the graduating nurses.
Pantophlet and Illidge were both praised throughout the ceremony and showered with roars of applause from the graduates and audience for their role in educating the nurses. They encouraged the graduates to continue improving their knowledge and skills.
Pantophlet said it had not been an easy road, as many of the graduates wanted to give up during the course, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Irma. However, he had always encouraged them to continue. He said he was very proud of the graduates and urged them to continue to deliver quality care as they put their skills to work.
The nurses took their oath to serve under the supervision of retired nurse Ramona Illidge.
At the end of the ceremony, the graduating nurses presented gifts to the SMMC Education Department as a token of appreciation for the love and dedication it bestowed on all students.
