History of the Association

• In the fall of 1988, Mrs. Desrene Harvey hosted a welcome reception for a group of 4 Jamaican nurses who were recruited by Mrs. Monica Rudder to work at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. At this gathering, the consensus was that this could be an avenue for mentorship for new nurses. The group further recommended that this would be a great opportunity for Jamaican nurses to come together to embrace our heritage, network and provide assistance to the Jamaican community.  After a few more meetings and exploring the options of formalizing the group as a structured organization, ‘The Association of Jamaican Nurses’ (AJN) evolved in spring of 1989 and our first president, Mrs. Lena Dietrich, was elected.

Lena Dietrich 

 Monica Rudder