Claudett Maureen James, RN, RM, BScN, MHA, BH(M), JP

Claudett Maureen James is a senior nursing professional with forty-eight years of experience in nursing. Her expertise includes nursing administration, leadership and management, coaching and mentorship, midwifery, medical-surgical nursing, and nephrology nursing. She was also a former Adjunct Lecturer at the University of the West Indies School of Nursing.

Mrs James holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the UWI Advanced Nursing Education Unit, a Certificate in Midwifery from the UHWI School of Midwifery, and a Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Technology, Jamaica. She also holds a Certificate as a Trainer of Trainers in the International Council of Nurses Leadership for Change Programme (1996).

Mrs James is a retired Senior Director of Nursing Services at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), where she provided strategic leadership for nursing and midwifery services and contributed to the development and implementation of the Hospital’s strategic direction. She has also served periodically as Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital.

A significant achievement during her tenure at UHWI was her leadership in establishing a partnership with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), which resulted in UHWI being designated as a Best Practice Spotlight Organisation (BPSO) in 2019; the first hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean to receive this designation.

Following her retirement from UHWI, Mrs James served with the Nursing and Midwifery Services Unit, Office of the Chief Nurse, Ministry of Health and Wellness, as Project Coordinator. She also provided consultancy services as a Programme Development Officer.

In recognition of her distinguished service to the community and significant contribution to the nursing profession, Mrs James was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 2013. In 2016, she was conferred with the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service in Nursing, an official Jamaican national honour.

Mrs James currently serves as Chairman of the Nursing Council of Jamaica, where she provides strategic leadership and oversight in the regulation of nursing and midwifery education and practice, while advancing professional standards and promoting excellence in the professions. She also serves as Secretary of the Retired Nurses Special Interest Group of the Nurses Association of Jamaica, where she continues to contribute to the professional development and engagement of retired nurses. She is a member of the Omega Kappa Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursing. Her professional interests include strengthening nursing and midwifery education, practice, leadership, and regulation in Jamaica. She is also actively involved in community and church service and serves as a Church Steward and Chair of the Board of the Providence Methodist Church Early Childhood Institution.