by Curlan Campbell
- Luret Clarkson died early Sunday morning
- Devoted over 30 years to the nursing profession, retiring as Chief Nursing Officer
- Advocated for improvements in working conditions for nurses
Grenada’s nursing fraternity and the trades union movement have lost one of its stalwarts. Former Chief Nursing Officer, Luret Clarkson, from Morne Jaloux, in St George, died early Sunday morning at the General Hospital. Clarkson wore many hats. She entered the nursing fraternity in 1966 at age 23, and devoted over 30 years to leading the nursing profession through some difficult periods. She qualified as a midwife in 1970. She was a nurse tutor at the Grenada School of Nursing (GSN) in 1979, and became the school’s director 4 years later. She was the Chief Nursing Officer before retiring.
In a 2019 NOW Grenada feature entitled “Nurses leaving Grenada for greener pastures” Clarkson indicated that she continued to advocate for improvements in the working conditions for nurses and showed support for the Nursing NOW Campaign even after her retirement. At the time, one of the major issues she addressed was the closure of the midwifery programme which has helped build Grenada’s cadre of midwives.
In tribute to Clarkson, current president of the Grenada National Nurses Association, Patricia Strachan, said, “She led many struggles on behalf of the nursing fraternity, for the bread and butter issues of nursing professionals. She was fearless; an excellent orator.” Regarding Clarkson’s legacy, she said, “Her past nursing students remember her as a disciplinarian, assertive yet tender and motherly. A true nursing professional, an icon. A mentor to all nursing personnel.”
Under Clarkson’s directorship, the nursing programme went under tertiary education programme at the TA Marryshow Community College (TAMCC). Clarkson was also President of the Caribbean Nurses Organisation, and it was under her presidency that the Grenada Nurses Association became a member of the Caribbean Nurses Organisation, Commonwealth Nurses and Midwifery Federation, and the International Council of Nurses. She was also a member of the Regional Nursing Body.
Tributes have also come from the trade union movement as Clarkson was a former president of the Public Workers Union (PWU).
So sorry to hear of her passing. Sr. Clarkson was one of the best nursing educators l had the honor of meeting. She was my nursing professor in the 1980s. My condolences to her family especially Esther and BerylAnn.
RIP Sr. Clarkson, I am honored to have known you. She was one of my profound nursing educators in the early 1980s….. Priceless.
My deepest sympathy to her family.
I am sorry to hear about the passing of sister Clarkson, I trained as a Registered nurse under her as a tutor at the school of nursing in the 1970s. She was a strict disciplined and caring person, easy to talk with, a nurse from the good ole days. Will miss her, may she rest in peace.
We will never find no one is this lifetime as a mother/tutor/mentor/icon/stalwart and so on as she was affectionately called.sister clarkson led a legacy and her legacy lives on .R.I.P SR CLARKSON condolences to her family both immediate and the nursing fraternity.
She was one of Grenada’s stalwarts , May she rest in perfect peace.
My condolences to Beryl Ann and family. Sorry for your loss
An Outstanding Grenadian Woman. RIP