Young nurse opens own practice

Having a desire to positively impact lives and create employment opportunities within the healthcare sector through entrepreneurship, Registered Nurse Shertonia Walker decided to start her own practice.

After completing her undergraduate studies at the Northern Caribbean University in 2021, the 25-year-old started C.A.R.E Nursing Services and More, which is aimed at providing flexible and affordable access to medical services for Jamaicans. The St Thomas native said that her transition from university to entrepreneurship was not as smooth as she had hoped, pointing out that her success was only attained through determination and hard work.

"Leaving my hometown to travel to Manchester for university, I had to develop and capitalise on some attributes like self-motivation, tap into my core values, and focus on why I started nursing in the first place," she said. Walker shared that she observed a need for more "private, affordable, and flexible" healthcare services, especially within rural areas.

"They don't have [much] opportunities to access type-A hospitals [and] care," she said. "[At C.A.R.E Nursing Services and More] we provide type-A care. So we go into rural Jamaica and find out what they are lacking and how we can improve their lives."

Walker opined that access to healthcare should be convenient for everyone, so she caters to all groups, especially those requiring more flexibility to access services.

"I chose the working class as my [main] target because they are usually very busy and do not have the time to take care of themselves or their families; and the retirees, oftentimes, they don't want to choose other nursing facilities, for example, nursing homes...they want care in the comfort of their homes," she said.

The entrepreneur, who has a staff complement of 18, admitted that as a young professional in the healthcare industry, she often encounters persons who judge her and her staff because of their ages.

"Once someone is unsure about what you are doing, what they start to do is ask questions. We provide answers that are in the best interest of the client, and when we do get the opportunity to impact the life of even a small child, we do it to the best of our ability, so that [they] can remember that we did this as young professionals, and we can do so much more for others," she informed.

Walker encouraged other young entrepreneurs with similar experiences to focus on quality assurance.

She also expressed hope that Jamaica will become "one of the top medical tourism destinations in the Caribbean".

"We know that we don't have enough infrastructure and resources. [But] we can use what we have to impact the lives that we can, one family at a time, [by] building on our customer service," she said.