Reluctant entrant wins coveted Nurse of the Year award
Published:Saturday | July 23, 2022 | 12:10 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
Alicia Adamson was on Friday crowned the 2022-2023 Nurse of the Year during the annual Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and LASCO Chin Foundation awards ceremony.
Adamson, who has served as a midwife for nine years and also as a registered nurse for 14 years, admitted that she was at first hesitant to contest for the coveted title.
“We have so many brilliant nurses in our country who I thought that I could not match up to them,” she said in a Gleaner interview.
However, with encouragement from her fiancé, her family, and fellow colleagues at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, she decided to participate.
Adamson admitted that she was blown away when her name was announced during the ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Nevertheless, she is pleased with the outcome and is eager to carry out her volunteer obligations while representing the NAJ and brand LASCO.
Despite a difficult two years of combating the stresses caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which had put a strain on the healthcare system, Adamson remained steadfast in her commitment to help those in need.
She added that being a part of a team of nurses who strived to perform their daily duties with a smile and an attitude of willingness and purpose gave her the motivation.
“We are the pulse of the healthcare system. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? And for that, I pushed every day to come out to ensure that my country is at the best where healthcare is concerned,” Adamson told The Gleaner.
Along with the top trophy, she also walked away with a cash prize of $200,000 and other awards.
Nasandra Peart, who was adjudged the first runner-up, received a $150,000 prize, while Marika Davis Miller, the second runner-up, got $100,000.
La-Daniel Campbell from Brown’s Town Community College topped the field of five finalists to be named Nursing Student of the Year.
She was awarded $100,000 by LASCO, along with a trophy and other prizes.
Adamson, the newly crowned Nurse of the Year, told The Gleaner that she hopes to revive police programmes in inner-city communities throughout the island during her reign, so that young people, particularly young men, can focus their interest and energy on something positive. This, she hopes, will not only benefit them, but also reduce violence and make Jamaica a better place to live.
“As a nurse, I want to partner with them and the LASCO Chin Foundation to see how much we can get our youths involved,” she said.