Abigail James dedicated to helping others - St Elizabeth native named Nurse of the Year

In the July 23 publication of THE STAR, the 2024/2025 LASCO/NAJ Nurse of the Year Abigail James was incorrectly identified. Here is the correct story. THE STAR regrets the error and any embarrassment caused to Nurse James.

After spending most of her early childhood helping to care for her grandmother who eventually died from ovarian cancer, Abigail James knew that one day she would join the profession, so that she could care for others.

Still, this was not James' only inspiration to join the field. As a child growing up in Beacon, Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, her mother was an aspiring nurse, but opted to pursue a career in farming due to financial constraints. Nonetheless, her mother's dreams flourished through her. She even lost her mom during her final year of study, but persevered, and in 2018, after graduating from The University of the West Indies with her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, James started working at the Black River Hospital. Earlier this month, she received her certification from the Ministry of Health and Wellness in post-basic neonatology, which allows her to care for babies from birth to 28 days.

Since she has been at the Black River Hospital in her home parish, James, who attended both Black River and Newell high schools, told THE STAR that she has been able to help many people, and has fallen even deeper in love with her job.

"It's really the little things, the little reactions from patients that I love most about my job, like going from seeing and caring for them in severe pain to walking in the supermarket and seeing somebody come up to me and say, 'Hi nurse, remember you use to take care of me?' or 'You use to take care of my baby,'" James said. "It's those little rewards that warm your heart, and the fact that you're able to be there for someone at such a point in their lives."

And the wins keep coming for James. On Sunday, she was crowned the 2024/2025 LASCO/NAJ Nurse of the Year. For James, it was a momentous occasion, one that comes with a full scholarship which will enable her to pursue her master's degree.

"It's an honour and it's a privilege for me to be able to not only represent my hospital, but nurses on a whole on a national level. Nurses are often only seen as [people who] give medication or [as] bedside nurses, but we have so much more to offer to the nation, and this competition is something that allows us to be seen as a light," said James.

Like many of her fellow St Elizabeth residents, the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl has affected James. The healthcare professional's home was flooded and her roof was partially damaged. But she is still actively caring for patients and remaining positive.

"I feel privileged, because there are persons who have nothing; they have to start all over from the beginning. So even though it is a hard time for me and my colleagues, it is still a time for me to give God thanks because it could have been way worse," said James, who is looking forward to continue making her parish proud.

"I'm honoured to be representing at such a time when we are picking up the pieces from what Beryl left behind," said James.