Throughout October we will be marking Black History Month by promoting voices of our colleagues at UHP. First up is Theresia Makatile, Matron for Renal, Hepatology and the Plymouth Dialysis Unit who last year, became the first black matron at the trust…

“My name is Nthatisi Theresia Makatile – known as Theresia. I was born in Lesotho, a small country inside South Africa, and I come from a very poor background and a big family. As a child I have always liked helping others and that’s where my nursing inspiration originated from. I’m a Catholic by religion and my religion has supported me in believing that poverty could never determine the person I become. Having these strong beliefs have made me the woman I am today. My language is Sesotho and English is my second language – therefore, it takes me time to process information in another language.

I trained as a student nurse at Roma College of Nursing in Lesotho, where I qualified as a registered nurse 2002 (Diploma), then completed one year midwifery in 2003. Having a midwifery qualification is an added bonus in my country and you easily find a job if you are double-registered. I worked in general wards for a year, then managed my own unit in the outpatient department for the second-year post qualification.

Due to my poor background, I could not support my siblings and that is when I decided to come to the UK. I first worked in a nursing home for 8 years. A dear friend of mine told me about the NHS and possible opportunities within the organisation, so I joined as a band 5 registered nurse in September 2014. At first, I found it challenging to understand how the NHS operates, the policies and procedures. When I began to mentor students, it was at that moment I realised I needed to gain academic insight to improve myself, so that I’m able to support others. In 2015, I joined Plymouth University part-time to complete a degree in health studies.

When I started my degree, I was funded for a few modules, but not all of them as, at the time, it was felt that I did not require that level of education or leadership skills to be a nurse. This was despite charitable funds being available to cover the costs. This was one of the barriers in my academic journey. I could not conclude whether my race also had something to do with it – this is always hard to prove. However, opportunities do not always present themselves to us global majority.

I completed 6 modules of which I was awarded Honours Degree in Health Studies. I gained more confidence from university, and it was easy to put theory into practice. I then had a confidence to aspire for higher positions. I became a junior sister and then moved on to be a ward manager. Some of my managers believed in me and my potential – it was those beliefs and interactions that gave me the motivation and empowerment to take on these challenges. Sometimes it just takes that one person to believe in you to change your perception of things.

I’m now the first black matron in my organisation and I cannot thank enough the people that have support me to get to where I am – I am so proud to have achieved this.

In my role as a matron, I also look out for the wellbeing of others, and I hope that I’m able to inspire other global majority colleagues through my actions. In this role I hope I can be the voice for those that feel unheard, or even a point of contact, should anyone have worries about anything.”

October marks the start of Black History Month 2024. Each year the commemorative month focusses on a theme – this year the theme looks at ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. The topic intends to highlight a shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of black history and culture. This year, we will mark the week with a range of voices from our global majority colleagues and what ‘reclaiming narratives’ means to them as we celebrate and recognise the history and diversity of the people that make up our trust. Each week we will release a new blog.