By Francine Black, Staff Reporter 
Carmen Johnson (right), ward sister at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital and 'LASCO Nurse of the Year', 2004, accepts her trophy from Lascelles Chin, chief executive officer of LASCO, at the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and LASCO's annual 'Nurse of the Year' awards ceremony at the Hilton Kingston Hotel in St. Andrew, on Thursday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
CARMEN JOHNSON, ward sister at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital, has been named LASCO 'Nurse of the Year 2004'.
She was sashed at the Nurses Association of Jamaica/LASCO awards ceremony at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, in New Kingston, Thursday night.
Ms. Johnson, who was overjoyed and excited about winning, vowed to continue the tremendous work, which she said, the NAJ has been doing to reach the poor and unfortunate in the society.
RESPONSIBILITIES
"I pledge to carry out the (youth) outreach centre's intended responsibilities and all other responsibilities that go along with it... I am equal to the task," she said.
Nardia Campbell, a second-year student at the Cornwall School of Nursing, was crowned nursing student of the year during the ceremony. She too vowed to help her community by embarking on a mini project to reduce poverty there.
The NAJ has been celebrating Nurses Week, which commenced on Sunday with a church service under the theme, 'Nurses: Working with the Poor against Poverty'.
Lascelles Chin, chairman and chief executive officer of LASCO, saluted the nurses for what he called their commitment to meeting the needs of their patients.
PERSONAL TOUCH
"In this high-tech world you have managed to keep abreast of all that is happening without losing the personal touch," he said.
Marcia Forbes, media consultant and guest speaker at the ceremony, also commended the nurses for their work but noted that they should be careful not to become poor in their quest to help others.
"Too many nurses themselves end up poor while taking care of others," she said.
She said it was unacceptable for nurses to receive a starting salary of less than $500,000 per annum after going through three years of practical training.
Activities taking place locally are part of the Year of the Caribbean Nurse which is being celebrated in Jamaica this month by the NAJ in association with the Caribbean Nurses Organisation (CNO).
