Jamaican LPNs shown warm welcome at shower in St. John's
About a hundred people joined the Sisters of Mercy and the Basilica Parish Wednesday night, in welcoming 13 new Licensed Practical Nurses who moved to the province from Jamaica.
The sisters and the health authority held a shower for the women at the College of Licensed Professional Nurses building on Blackmarsh Road in St. John's.
Kerrese Mitchell, who is from St. Catherine — a parish in Jamaica, told CBC News she and her colleagues have been "overwhelmed" with the generosity they've received.
"Oh, it's absolutely fantastic. It's fabulous," said Mitchell.
"We heard about it from before — but we did not expect this magnitude of support and we are really loving it. We are really appreciating it."
"We are loving it. It is cold, compared to where we are coming from, but we are adapting. It requires some warming up and putting on some more clothes, but we are adapting and we are doing great," she said.
Sister Margaret Taylor of the Sisters of Mercy helped organize the party. She said it's important that the new LPNs feel welcome.
"So, we as a church wanted to reach out — and you can see by the number of gifts here that we have had an overwhelming response," she said.
Organizers and guests filled long tables with gifts to set up the nurses' new homes. They received everything from kettles and dishes, to toasters and frying pans.
The LPNs will work at Eastern Health facilities, including the new long-term care home in St. John's.