BVI Nurses Chief Honoured at Caribbean Conference

Rosa Ravariere-Seaman, who leads the BVI Nurses Association, has been awarded the Josefa Wouter Professional Organization Leadership Award for her work in nursing across the Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean region.

The honour came during the Caribbean Nurses Organisation Conference in late October 2026. At the same gathering, Ravariere-Seaman was re-elected to serve a second term as Assistant Treasurer of the regional body.

Chief Nursing Officer Jascinth Hannibal marked both achievements. "Congratulations to Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman on this well-deserved honour. This award recognises her leadership and years of service in the Virgin Islands and across the Caribbean," Hannibal said.

The Josefa Wouter award, created in 1980 to honour a former Caribbean Nurses Organisation president, celebrates leaders who have made an impact on nursing education, professional practice, advocacy and community health across the Caribbean.

Seven staff members from the BVI Nurses Association travelled to the conference, which drew participants from 19 Caribbean nations and territories. The delegation comprised Vice President Jenuel McSheene, Secretary Ghislaine Olive, Treasurer Avalina Valrose, and members Rupertha Ephraim, Gretchen Hodge-Penn and Sandrine Phipps. The gathering, themed "Sustaining Nursing Excellence: Advancing the Human, Scientific and Technological Innovations in Care," brought together nursing educators, practitioners, students and policymakers to discuss ways to strengthen healthcare delivery and professional standards across the region.