New experiences as a Queen’s Nurse in the Cayman Islands

Queen’s Nurse Helen Kirk describes her new role supporting local healthcare in the Cayman Islands. She is currently a Quality Improvement Nurse and President of the Cayman Islands Nursing and Midwifery Association.

A little over year ago, I embarked on a new journey. I left DHSC, relocated to the Cayman Islands and embraced a new role. The past 12 months have been transformative, filled with opportunities to contribute to the local healthcare landscape while having new experiences in ways I never imagined. I do miss family, and the cat, but I’m determined to enjoy every minute.

The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the Western Caribbean about a one-hour flight west of Jamaica and similar south of Florida. There is a daily direct 12-hour flight from London. There are three islands and more than 95% of the population live on Grand Cayman, similar in size and population to Jersey (about 80,000). Healthcare is a mixed public and private insurance model. The islands are a major centre for financial services and a tourist destination.

I work at the Doctors Hospital in George Town and with our community clinics. The climate is tropical and usually 28-32 C every day of the year. We have a hurricane season June to November so when we lockdown I sleep at the hospital to make sure we can look after our patients. I am in this clip (on the right) from Hurricane Beryl doing roll call as we locked down.

Some of my most rewarding experiences have been working closely with the community here. I’ve had the privilege of mentoring a high school student, sparking their interest and providing them with guidance as they consider careers in healthcare. In addition, I’ve been actively involved in creating student nurse placements for the first time where I work.

My work with the local hospice has been particularly meaningful having been a hospice trustee back in Cheshire. I am also supporting the medics in the recently formed Cayman Island Regiment with developing clinical competencies. Being a former Captain in the QARANC, this is incredibly important to me.

Within my day job, my role has evolved significantly. I’ve taken on leadership in areas such as patient experience, accreditation, safeguarding, incident management, and nurse development amongst others. All of which give me the opportunity to use my broad experience and make a difference over here.

In April of this year, I had the honour of presenting at the University’s first-ever Nursing and Midwifery Symposium. This was a milestone event, and it allowed me to form valuable connections with fellow healthcare professionals.

Building on these relationships, I am now leading a Delphi study focused on nurse career development and the barriers that nurses in the Cayman Islands face. This research is vital, as it will provide insight into how we can better support nurses in advancing their careers and addressing systemic challenges.

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments of the year came just a few weeks ago, when I was elected President of the Cayman Islands Nursing and Midwifery Association. This new role allows me to represent nurses across the three islands and internationally, giving me a platform to advocate for the profession and influence policy. As I write, I have just returned from Guyana where I represented the Cayman Islands at a Caribbean wide nurses meeting.

Looking back on this incredible year, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities to serve, and make a lasting impact on, nursing in the Cayman Islands. The journey has been exciting, and, towards the end of my career now, I am excited to see what the future holds in this beautiful setting. Having my nursing connections in UK helps me a lot with feeling connected. I value that. I was thinking I would slow down a little here in the Caribbean, but I guess that can wait a while….