Adventist University in Jamaica Names Pioneer Nursing Student as Product Sample 2024

Beverly McPherson was honored for her commitment to students for a life of service.

Oh September 5, 2024 | Manchester, Mandeville | Keisha Hill, NCU and IAD News Staff

At the recent 101st commencement ceremony at Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Beverly McPherson was recognized as the institution’s 2024 Product Sample, in Mandeville, Jamaica, on Aug. 11, 2024. The Adventist university saluted her for her commitment and professional acumen that aligned with NCU’s mission of educating students for lives of service throughout society, the marketplace, and the church.

The Product Sample title is given to at least one alum, each year, who the university feels demonstrates the life, professional work and service that are exemplary, ideal, and typical of graduates of the institution.

As a girl, Beverley McPherson sometimes accompanied her father’s cousin, who would administer nursing duties to some of her patients. The young McPherson was enthralled, not only by her relative’s nursing uniform, but also with the care that the relative displayed in assisting her patients.

“She was a big influence in my decision to become a nurse,” said McPherson. “When I completed my high school education, I wanted to go straight into the nursing program at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). However, my mother got wind of this information and diverted the plans. She enrolled me at the then-West Indies College,” McPherson recounted.McPherson walked into the Physics class the following morning and entered the nursing program as one of the first set of cohorts at West Indies College.

McPherson walked into the Physics class the following morning and entered the nursing program as one of the first set of cohorts at West Indies College.

“We did our first year on campus, and then spent the next three years at Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston where we did our core nursing courses. We also visited various other hospitals as part of our program,” she related.

Achieving her dream, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the then West Indies College and has been a dedicated nursing practitioner since then. Her professional journey has also included a values-based approach that integrates spiritual and physical growth, engaging social interactions, and a robust, mission-centered work ethic.

Since graduating West Indies College, now Northern Caribbean University (NCU) since 1999, McPherson has specialized in comprehensive clinical expertise, focusing on preventative care and health management and has been lauded for her outstanding proficiency in diagnostic interpretation towards patient assessment.

“I have spent most of my working years overseas, and even though I have had so many accomplishments, my first degree from West Indies College is the one that is most recognized wherever I go,” said McPherson.

With a Master of Public Health in Health Education from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Nursing, with emphasis in Family Nurse Practitioner and Ambulatory Care, she has held critical positions in healthcare and other institutions, and has served as a volunteer, for over two decades, in the Atlanta-Montego Bay mission, offering free medical care to under-served communities.

“I come back every year and give back to the community in Montego Bay. I feel that it is a good thing to assist others that are in need and to treat them fairly despite their circumstances,” she said. Oh

Her qualifications also include completion of the Occupational Health didactic program from the University of California, and an Adolescent Medicine Fellowship from the University of Cincinnati. She is currently pursuing the Doctor of Nursing Practice that has a focus on addressing unique health needs and barriers for certain marginalized groups of society.

“I am very honored to be nominated as a Product Sample, and being a part of the pioneer nursing group. Hopefully, more nursing students will feel motivated to pursue higher degrees in the nursing profession and give back to their school and community,” McPherson said.