The Cultural Development of Nursing in St. Kitts and Nevis

The nurses in St. Kitts and Nevis, an independent island nation in the Caribbean, overcame oppression to implement strategic health reforms that significantly improved health outcomes. This research was conducted to gain a greater understanding of how this never-before-studied population of nurses from a historically marginalized community have overcome oppression to provide effective, culturally congruent care.

This research was conducted using interpretive phenomenological and historical methods. Forty-five in-depth interviews, observations, and analyses of out-of-print historical documents were collected on-site in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The research revealed significant themes regarding the impact of African heritage, history of oppression, gender roles, and the British System of Nursing on current nursing practices in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Findings from this study may provide insight into how nurses can provide more culturally congruent care among traditionally marginalized, diverse communities in geographically isolated low-resource communities.