A Road to Excellence encapsulates the establishment of a school nursing at the University Hospital of the West Indies and the progression of the basic nursing education programme from an apprenticeship system based on the British model to a partial student status system. The quality of the leadership throughout the period has been highlighted. The authors chronicle the influence of the Jamaica General Trained Nurses Association/Nurses Association of Jamaica, the regulating role of the Nursing Council, and show how support from regional and international agencies contributed to changes in the administration and integrity of the curriculum. The flexibility of the teaching staff in adapting to current educational technologies and the response of the students as evidenced by their performance in the registration examinations are presented. Aspects of operations and functioning integral to the maintenance of standards in a school are also covered.

The authors all graduated from the University Hospital of the West Indies School of Nursing and had a history of service with many local and international nursing associations, and they have brought to this work their insiders’ understanding of the school’s journey from its inception.

Claire Duncan retired in 2002 as Director of Training, Human Resource Management Department, University Hospital of the West Indies. She previously worked as a staff nurse, ward sister and nursing tutor with the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Valerie Hardware retired in 2009 as Staff Coordinator, Department of Nursing Service, University Hospital of the West Indies. She previously worked as a staff nurse, ward sister and nursing tutor with the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Jean Munroe retired in 2006 as Assistant Director, Advanced Training and Research in Fertility Management (now the Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit), Faculty of Medical Sciences, the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. She previously worked with the University Hospital of the West Indies in positions ranging from staff nurse to nursing tutor to director of personnel and industrial relations.

Norma Woodham retired in 2003 as Director of Nursing Education, University Hospital of the West Indies School of Nursing. She previously worked as a staff nurse, ward sister and nursing tutor with the University Hospital of the West Indies.