Eunice Gibson Explained

Eunice Gibson
Birth Date:14 February 1895
Nationality:Barbadian
Occupation:Nurse

Eunice Gibson (14 February 1895 – 5 December 1974) was a Barbados nurse and the founder of the Barbados Nurses Association.

Early life

Eunice Gibson was born on 14 February 1895.[1]

Activism

Gibson founded an organization for employing nurses in 1937 and was elected to the Bridgetown City Council in 1959.[1]

Barbados Nurses Association

In July 1936, Gibson and 11 other nurses formed the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) to improve working conditions at Barbados General Hospital. Gibson led the organisation until 1946. During her tenure, the BNA was made a municipal corporation by the Parliament of Barbados on 15 February 1943.[2] She remained an active member of the organization for 37 years. Gibson campaigned the International Nurses Association in 1957 to accept the BNA as one of its members.[1]

Death and legacy

Gibson died on 5 December 1974 and was interred at Bridgetown's Westbury Cemetery.[1]

The Barbados Nurses Association annually hosts an awards ceremony named for Gibson, the Eunice Gibson Memorial Lecture and Awards Ceremony.[3] A hospital, Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, was also named after Gibson.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Simpson. Shadia. Tribute to BNA founder. Nation News. 26 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20171024190642/http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/38511/tribute-bna-founder. 24 October 2017.
  2. Web site: BNA – History. Barbados Nurse Association. 5 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20150712000109/http://barbadosnursesassociation.webs.com:80/history. 12 July 2015.
  3. News: BNA Sings Praises of Eunice Gibson . July 17, 2021 . . August 3, 2020.