Mrs. Karen Simone Nelson, MPH, BSc PHN, RN, RM

Mrs. Karen Simone Nelson is a distinguished public health nursing leader with over thirty-two years of experience in nursing, public health, health policy, and healthcare leadership in Jamaica. She currently brings this wealth of leadership to her role as a Council Member, where she also serves as Chair of the Policy, Research and Publication Committee, providing strategic direction to policy development, research, and publications.

Mrs Nelson’s foundational training was completed at the Kingston School of Nursing, followed by a BSc (Honours) in Public Health Nursing from the University of Technology, Jamaica, and a Master of Public Health from the University of the West Indies. Her specialized global qualifications span international studies at the National Cancer Institute in the USA, as well as institutional healthcare programmes in Community Health Systems for Infectious Disease Control (Japan), and Nursing Techniques for Developing Countries (China). She currently serves as the Regional Nursing Supervisor for the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), providing strategic oversight for quality improvement, health systems strengthening, and workforce development. Previously, Mrs. Nelson served as Deputy Chief Nursing Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, playing a pivotal role in Jamaica’s national COVID-19 response. Guided by her personal motto, “If You Can Use Anything Lord, You Can Use Me,”, her career has been recognized through numerous prestigious accolades, including the Sir Kenneth Standard Award for Excellence in Community Health Services, the NAJ COVID-19 Champion Award, and the historic Grace Allen Young Professional Award in 2021. Beyond her primary regulatory duties, Mrs. Nelson serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee for Public Health Nursing at UTech, President of the Adventist Health Professionals Association, and remains a deeply devoted Christian leader who was ordained as an Elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2022.