Trailblazers in Nursing Education

This book documents the contributions that Ruth Nita Barrow, Gertrude Hildegarde Swaby and Julie Symes made in advancing the status of professional nursing education in Jamaica between 1946 and 1986.

Their contributions to professional nursing occurred while Jamaica was a British colony, and the economic, political and social forces of the era and their effects are discussed. Because their contributions extended to other English-speaking Caribbean territories, this study also focuses on the impact that these women had on regional nursing education development and the factors that influenced their involvement.

The changes that emerged from the contributions of these women with respect to influence, commitment, credibility, visibility, networking, and mentoring in the profession of nursing are profound.