We’ve been speaking to our Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality as we look to mark NHS Overseas Workers Day.
Rhonda Pickering, who has been in her role now at DHU for 18 months, migrated from Trinidad and Tobago and has spent much of her career championing the virtues of colleagues from minority backgrounds.
“I lived in Trinidad until I was 20,” Rhonda told us, “and was studying law prior to leaving Trinidad to pursue my nursing career. It was always my dad’s dream for me to pursue a career in nursing, he saw something in me from an early age. When he fell ill with Cancer and we were told he didn’t have long to live, I wanted him to see me doing something he wanted me to do so applied to start Nursing in the UK. My Aunt was a nurse in the UK who migrated in the 70’s and there was a big drive to recruit for nursing students, so I felt the universe was telling me this was the right time.
“It wasn’t easy being away from my family, there were lots of challenges culturally, environmentally, and socially. But I kept my head down and completed my Degree in Healthcare at De Montfort University in 2003. The healthcare setup in the UK is so much further advanced than in Trinidad and didn’t feel it was a career I could continue there, so decided to stay to further my nursing and study medical law on my time off.
“I had to adapt…”
“I did hit some barrier’s in progressing in my nursing. People wouldn’t know it now, but I brought a thick Caribbean accent with me and through no fault of my own, it was holding me back. Some people struggled to understand my pronunciation and it was hard as I felt this was a huge part of my identity. But my dad who was still alive receiving good treatment in America was watching my career; he told me that Trinidad would always be in my heart but to grow in my career, I had to adapt. It helped me to not feel like I was giving up part of my heritage by going to elocution lessons to improve my communication skills which enabled me to rise to where I am now, but I’ll never forget where I’m from. In fact, it’s helped me to encourage others who find themselves in my position.
“When I worked as a Triage Nurse in the LLR out of hours service, I supported the clinical manager to actively recruit from minority groups, supporting them with telephone triage roles. In some cultures, tone and manner can come across as harsh or abrupt so teaching the right intonation and body language bridged that gap. I’m proud to see some of the people I brought in, from South Africa and the Caribbean in particular, have flourished. For example, in 2020, during the pandemic, I worked in an acute setting and was tasked to recruit over 200 overseas nurses for my Trust. I used my experience as an overseas nurse to help develop the right pastoral support and training for these overseas nurses through my own lived experience.
“I always say that integrating nurses and clinicians into our health industry has helped develop the skillset across the NHS. Understanding different diets, lifestyles, cultures and languages, especially clinical terms, is an invaluable benefit and reflects our diverse communities. I had to quickly adapt to life in the UK and that’s what our overseas colleagues bring with them, an incredible ability to adapt and tell us things we wouldn’t otherwise know about other colleagues, patients, and carers.
“I followed a dream…”
“I came over here with £350, nothing else, and made a life for myself. My family may be in Trinidad, but I have a second family here through my husband, my friends and my colleagues. My Dad lived for a long time and saw me grow as a person, as a nurse and as a daughter and it makes me so proud to know that I followed a dream and have helped others to do the same, to integrate into a new way of living, working and educating themselves.
“By welcoming and nurturing overseas colleagues, we make their health communities stronger and in DHU I have found a place that reflects my beliefs and values. Like so many others from overseas, I am proud to have made a difference and would like to thank everybody who has supported me and inspired me along the way.”