Crossing the Chasms of Life

Dr. Audrey Gittens is a Caribbean woman with a global perspective on life. Her experience in health care, and involvement in socio-economic and political spheres have given her wisdom beyond her years. Despite her achievements, she considers being a mother and grandmother her most significant accomplishments. This book is based on her life’s trajectory, the hills and troughs she has climbed, and the passion she has for any undertaking.The author’s strongest characteristic is the ability to overcome challenges. She knows what it is like to be tossed in the wind, to be battered and bruised, yet she survives any storm. She rose to the highest rank of the nursing profession, earning her BScN, MSc and doctoral degrees in nursing. Her education, training, and experience have propelled her to other career fields, including housing, public service, information, and labor. She has been chairman of the board of several organizations and sat in advisory capacities on others. Her most notable trait is that she is a humanitarian, always defending the vulnerable and marginalized. Apart from her mother, the women who inspired her and whose legacy she emulates, include the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde; Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister; Mary Eugena Charles, former Prime Minister of the Caribbean Island of Dominica; Elnora Warner, nurse leader and educator of Antigua and Barbuda; Dr. Marjorie Parks of Belize, nurse leader and educator; and Aberdeen Brown of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a former nurse leader and educator.Dr. Gittens’ motto is “The sky is never the limit, look beyond.”