Hartlepool nurse Linda Robinson has gone from a domestic to a nurse thanks to career support from the Trust.
The 53-year-old started working for the Trust in 1997 as a theatre domestic while supporting her young family.
Linda’s role involved supporting the theatre surgeons, even ensuring they had sandwiches and refreshments during their shifts.
Linda has since worked her way up the career ladder. She has taken on positions such as a theatre support worker and associate practitioner to enhance her knowledge even further.
“My dream has always been to be a nurse but I got married and had my children young. It is now my time to pursue a career in the medical profession.
Linda Robinson, theatre nurse
She continued: “At 46 years old I completed my Adult Nursing degree at Teesside University. It’s something I never thought was possible for me to achieve.
“My husband has been instrumental in my development. He even taught himself my course mathematics to help me learn medicine calculations!”
Linda’s work is so well respected that she won a Shining Star award following a nomination from a theatre surgeon. Winning the accolade, which the Trust awards to high performing staff on an annual basis, helped her gain confidence to move upwards in her healthcare career.
“Starting as a domestic and working my way to nursing has taught me the importance of teamwork, that each role plays an important part in the hospital environment”, Linda commented.
Now working as a scrub nurse, Linda’s primary role is to assist surgeons during operations.
Linda’s career journey to leadership
Clinical director, Anil Agarwal, has worked with Linda since 1997 and watched her professional journey in the Trust.
He said: “To see Linda make her journey from a domestic to theatre support worker, associate practitioner, staff nurse and now a leader is nothing short of an admirable and inspirational story.
“Her story is dedicated to all who believe in themselves and the organisation that they work for.”
Anil Agarwal, clinical director
Linda said: “I am not planning on slowing down soon. The opportunities that the Trust has given me has made me hungry for more.
“I am now taking part in a management development programme outside of my role helping to develop a charity shop at the University Hospital of North Tees.
“The Trust have supported me every step of the way during my career journey and I’m eternally thankful.”
My North Tees journey: Linda Robinson
Hello my name’s Linda, I’m a nurse and I work in Hartlepool theatres.
I started working for the Trust in 1997. I worked as a domestic for a few years in theatres, looking after the surgeons.
Then a job came up as a theatre support worker. I put myself forward for that and I got the role.
Making a difference was just amazing. I just loved my job.
But I was hungry for more. I got in there and I loved it.
I always wanted to be a nurse but I got married young, I had my children young so I did mine the other way round.
I was 46 when I started my training.
I got the opportunity to be seconded to be a nurse. What a journey it was. It was hard but fantastic being out there living the dream.
The matrons and theatre have really supported me. We had a lady that was deaf so on a night I taught myself to do a sign language course.
So they gave me the time to go and learn and do the sign language and they’ve given me every opportunity, supported me all the way.
I won the shining star so that was… to be recognized off the surgeon, being recognised for my journey. That was a fantastic achievement.
The surgeon was a registrar when I was a domestic. And then me and the surgeon were doing a complex case in theatre and he said ‘what a fantastic transformation’.
He said ‘I’m going to nominate you for a ‘Shining Star’. What an amazing achievement and this Shining Star’s given me the confidence to move further.
I’ve had a fantastic journey and people have believed in me.
There’s a role for everybody and please believe in yourself and take that opportunity with both hands and grab it.