The Royal Gazette is highlighting members of the Bermuda

Nurses’ Association throughout May. This week we spoke with Kidada Robinson, a nursing student at the Bermuda College who works full time at Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre and is also an EMT

Kidada Robinson’s great regret about Covid-19 is that she was not able to be there on the frontline. The 24-year-old has another year to go before she completes her nursing studies at the Bermuda College.

And while her training as an emergency medical technician kept her busy at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for a spell, once the pandemic hit Bermuda she had to give the part-time job up.

“The hospital has made it a policy that if you do work at an outside facility that you cannot work within the hospital, just to stop the spread,” said Ms Robinson, who has a full-time job in the radiation/oncology department of Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.

“I actually work very well under pressure, probably better than in relaxed situations.

“I have been doing some self-reflection — because you have time now — and I find myself thinking, ‘Man I wish I was a nurse right now’.

“So, weirdly enough, it’s just reassured my passion. I wish I was in it to help.”

Although she has worked at Bermuda Cancer and Health since 2017, it was only a year ago that Ms Robinson gave serious consideration to a nursing career.

“From what I can remember I’ve always been interested in the medical field,” she said. “Since age 13, I have had volunteer and job experiences within the medical field.

“With the jobs I currently have, I work very closely with nurses and just admire the platform that they have to help people.”

Ms Robinson added: “Once I started doing more research I realised that nursing is a field that just opens so many doors and so I made my decision.

“A year ago I made the decision to look into the programme at Bermuda College and decided to just go forth with it.

“With the jobs I have I work very closely with nurses. I love being an EMT but I just want to do more.

“Once the patient leaves me, I don’t see the patient any more, I don’t know what happens to the patient.”

Great inspiration has come from Ellen Trueman, the radiation/oncology nurse director she works under in her post at Bermuda Cancer and Health.

“I work very closely with her,” Ms Robinson said.

“She’s a radiation oncology specialist from the UK and she is so thorough. She has so much passion for her patients and she’s just so inspiring.

“She just pushes me. She sees it in me and just pushes me every day and teaches me.

“Any techniques, or any knowledge that she has and has time to [pass on], she takes the time out to teach me. So I really appreciate her.”

With relatively few Bermudian nurses on the island and a global shortfall, it’s a profession that more people should consider, Ms Robinson said.

“Right now I know a few people who are studying and also working as a [registered nurse] that are around my age so hopefully the numbers are increasing,” she added.

“But maybe [there is a shortfall] because the [educational] opportunities weren’t available on the island until recently; the programme is freshly introduced.

“Maybe people didn’t have the means to go abroad and study, or they didn’t know how to go about learning about obtaining the degree.

“I would encourage anyone to go and just follow through with it because it’s a rewarding path and career.”

Once she completes her residency, her plan is to find work in “emergency nursing” however, as she also “loves kids” she might end up walking a different path.

“I would definitely love to help my community. That’s definitely the goal,” she said.

• Learn more about the Bermuda Nurses’ Association at bna.bm