HSA Clinical Ladder Programme Elevates Nursing Potential

Fifteen nurses across various clinical settings at the Health Services Authority (HSA) are on a steady pathway to further their careers after completing Levels 2 and 3 of the organisation’s LEARN Clinical Ladder Programme.

The nine-month development programme, based on Dr Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert conceptual framework, is geared at enhancing the quality and safety of patient care while fostering opportunities for leadership roles and succession planning. 

Dr. Karen Stewart, Director of Nursing, outlined that the programme “is hands-on and practical, requiring participants to demonstrate different skill sets ranging from administrative to clinical. The programme is part of the multidisciplinary approach the HSA is using to ensure patient safety and care.”

Candidates in this year’s cohort are involved in education and mock code drills, with many serving as infection control, Cerner or Joint Commission International champions.

Application to the programme is open to all HSA nurses who meet the eligibility criteria.

Participants in the programme were:

Level 2

• Raji Raghavan

• Jemila Singh

• Maureen Ricketts

• Anuroopa Vijayan

• Rebekah Sarella

• Antonette Lyons

• Babongile Mkhatshwa

• Amy James

Level 3

• Angelee Corbin

• Isobel James

• Duet Less

• Kimberly Simmonds

• Veena Sateesh

• Marlon Soriano

• Kimberley Wedderburn

Medical Response Clinical Educator Nurse Angelee Corbin, a Level 3 participant in the programme, noted that her motivation to join stemmed from the opportunity it provided “to develop leadership skills while contributing to meaningful improvements within the organisation. It is an excellent initiative that encourages innovation and professional growth, as well as a platform for nurses to turn ideas into impactful improvements.

Nurse Corbin’s project, Expansion of the Life Support Centre Resources to Support Simulation Training, demonstrates the practicality of the programme in advancing clinical care. “I identified a need to enhance staff training by upgrading our simulation equipment. This led to the purchase of two hybrid simulators - Hal (adult) and Charlie (paediatric), which have significantly improved the realism and quality of our advanced life support training,” she explained.  

Having achieved certification, Nurse Corbin expressed that “through this experience, I developed new skills in simulation technology and instructor training. Implementing these advanced manikins has enhanced our ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) training by creating more realistic scenarios that promote critical thinking and strengthen clinical practice.”

Caymanian nurse and Eloise Reid Excellence in Nursing recipient Kimberley Wedderburn, who serves as a wound care nurse, centred her project on establishing an Ostomy Clinic to provide support for patients before and after surgery, a service she recognised as essential to enhancing the quality of care in the Cayman Islands. 

“The Clinical Ladder Programme is a fantastic opportunity for any nurse who wishes to build on their leadership potential. It allows you to utilise your critical thinking skills to identify any practice gaps wherein you can develop a solution and implement that solution to make the practices more efficient and safer, while increasing patient satisfaction,” Nurse Wedderburn expressed.

“Given their frontline presence, these programmes help to keep our nurses engaged and responsive, and this was evident in the projects candidates presented,” stated HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood. “The LEARN Clinical Ladder candidates completed meaningful projects that drew on their clinical experience to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. These initiatives ultimately support our resolve to deliver compassionate and comprehensive care by incorporating insights across all levels of care.”

The HSA was awarded Training Champion and Commitment to Youth Education at the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Business Excellence Awards, recognising the organisation’s commitment to developing talent and its role as the only teaching hospital in the Cayman Islands.