Nursing in more than health but also in well being
She is well known throughout Ocho Rios and its environs as ‘Nurse’ and she will tell you that she is unaware of the identities of many of the persons with whom she exchanges pleasantries almost every day. This is because of the many lives she has touched since she made Ocho Rios her home.Though trained as a nurse and with vast international experience and having worked closely with young people as school nurse, Nurse Robinson takes her caring to well beyond bandages, bruises, proper diet and stress relief. She has been trying to improve the wellness of people, to include not just those who are ill.Because of her, countless number of children have had their school fees paid, uniform, books and other school supplies purchased, medical examination undertaken, lunch money to attend school and free hot meals while at school.A number of families have also benefited from Nurse Robinson’s intervention which resulted in improvement in their standard of living. She has travelled to St. Ann’s Bay on many occasions to obtain important documents like birth certificate or to get families registered for the Programme for Advancement through Health and Education (PATH). All this is to ensure that their lives are improved and especially children can attend school.
Nurse Robinson’s commitment to continue her high level of volunteerism is just as strong as when she first settled in Ocho Rios about 1991 after spending more than 32 years abroad, in the UK where she was trained and in the USA.She took on the role of becoming the first school nurse at the Ocho Rios High School and she spent 11 years at the school.It was during her very early days at Ocho Rios High that she discovered some of the challenges facing different families and children at school and she made a commitment to help. She described the Ocho Rios High experience as ‘an eye opener.’“I loved the kids and myself and the guidance counsellor had a good rapport and we would go all over to search for the kids who were not coming to school,” she explained. “I would get to school at 8:30 and there would be a line of kids with headache and I said something must be wrong and I asked when last they ate and I found out that the kids were hungry,” she added.This revelation prompted Nurse Robinson to get community help in starting a feeding programme at the school.Nurse Robinson also got involved in the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish where she has served as president and was selected Kiwanian of the year on two different occasions, because of her involvement in its outreach programmes.Through her involvement, the Mansfield Heights Basic School was established and launched under her presidency. Right now the club of which she remains a member and distinguished past president is working with the Baptist Church to establish a mentorship programme at Marcus Garvey High (Mansfield Heights campus).Countless number of persons also benefitted from free medical checks through several health fairs hosted by the club and her church, Ocho Rios Baptist.Over the years, Nurse Robinson has also been offering free medical checks to five- and six-year-old children who are preparing for primary school. As part of these checks, she carries out eye and ear examination and children who require further checks are referred to the doctor.She said for children who are found to have learning difficulties they are referred to the MICO CARE Centre for further assessment and that children found with eye problems are referred to Eye and Eye (opticians) where further examination is carried out free of charge. Fortunately, no ear problem has been discovered so far.
COMMUNITY AWARDS
Her work across the parish has been recognized by several organizations and she has received numerous awards and commendation for her contribution to the community. Among the recognition she has received is the prestigious Governor General’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Community, in 2001.Among her other awards are from the: St Ann Chamber of Commerce for outstanding community service and the St Ann Adventist Federation of the Youth Council for Invaluable Service to Humanity.“I know so many people who would stop and say ‘Hi Nurse and thank you’ and that’s all I need, I don’t need any payments, nothing,” she said. Nurse Robinson also distributes food she receives from Food for the Poor or other entities including friends overseas to families in need.
Her other involvement in the community includes being a member of the St. Ann Commission for the Ocho Rios Street People; Help the Indigent People (HIP) St. Ann’s Bay; Ocho Rios Zonal committee for Disaster Preparedness; Ocho Rios Community organization on Drug abuse and the St Ann Parish AIDS Committee.
PASSION FOR CARING
Nurse Robinson explained that she has always had a passion for caring for others and that led her into nursing. She is a registered nurse and midwife having received her training in the United Kingdom. Locally she has worked at the University Hospital of the West Indies, National Chest and Victoria Jubilee hospitals before she migrated to Los Angeles in the USA where she worked at the Los Angeles County Women’s Hospital for 15 years. She also did a two-year stint at the King Fiasal Hospital and Research Center in Ryland Saudi Arabia.On her return from Saudi Arabia, she realized she still had more to give so she went to work Los Angeles Olive View Hospital as a Paediatric Nurse Practitioner.She has lived more than three score and ten and is still very active and enjoying life. Nurse Robinson loves to travel and she and her husband of close to 60 years, Raymond, have travelled extensively visiting countries like Turkey, Thailand, Philippines, Mainland China, Singapore and Japan. She also intends to visit Africa soon. They have four children, the eldest is deceased. She said: “We just thank God and pray to him for long life so we can enjoy and serve others.”
