SANDRA W.A.ALLEN, SRN, SCM
May is Nurses’Month and once again I am writing on the lives of nurses often forgotten and unacknowledged. Hopefully, throughout this month I can share some of their lives.
When I returned to Bermuda in 1967, Sandra Allen was already working in St. George’s as the second Bermudian district nurse/midwife employed by the Bermuda Welfare Society. She joined Nurse Leonie Harford whom they had employed in 1963 and later I joined as the district nurse for Smith’s Parish. It took 38 years before this organization saw fit to employ Bermudian nurses.
Whenever Sandra and I had time off we would meet at the Lobster Pot or the Penthouse on Burnaby Street to catch up on our personal lives, our patients, or our days at the Berkeley, where she was often reprimanded for her outspoken questioning of authority. But above all, we discussed our future as nurses in an environment that was not always welcoming to local nurses of colour. We saw the need for greater change and we were willing to take risks. Sandra was determined to own her own home and began to use her free time as a telephone operator at the BermudaTelephone Company. She achieved her dream, when she purchased a condo in Cavendish Heights.
Sandra Allen was the daughter of political activist Wilfred Allen and his wife Inelda Castle-Allen. Infact, her father was a founding member of the Progressive Labour Party. Sandra attended the Ord Road School and the Berkeley Institute before following the path of many young black women who, during those early days, went off to England to study nursing and midwifery. She completed her general training at St. George’s General Hospital in Essex before moving on to train at the oldest and most prestigious maternity hospital in Europe, Queen Charlotte’s Maternity Hospital in London, founded in 1739 and named for the wife of King George 111.
The Hon. Joan Dillas-Wright, a close friend of Ms. Allen, completed her general training at the same hospital. Together they indulged their sense of adventure and travelled extensively throughout England and the European Continent. They attended concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the Palladium. They explored their interest in politics by frequenting Speaker’s Corner at Hyde Park and often attended social functions held by the West Indian Association. It was during this period in her life that she became exposed to political discussions with interesting citizens of the world, particularly from Africa and the Caribbean.
In 1969 Sandra resigned her position as the district nurse/midwife for St. George’s and accepted a position at KEMH where she remained until her retirement. Initially she worked on the Maternity Ward which was stifling for her as only doctors delivered the babies and midwives delivered when a doctor was delayed and did not arrive in time. Becoming frustrated, she moved on to other nursing roles in the hospital and over time progressed to the role of nursing supervisor and Assistant Director in charge of Continuing Care.
Sandra joined KEMH when there was a lack of upward mobility for Bermudian Nurses. They were highly trained, possessed the required qualifications but were continuously passed over. Bermudian nurses discovered that vacant senior positions were not being advertised and foreign nurses were being selected for these positions.
Sandra grew up in a very political home and knew that complacency was not the answer. She became a driving force in rectifying this situation. She, along with several nursing colleagues became the catalyst for the necessary change in the treatment plaguing local nurses working at KEMH. She was outspoken and fearless - qualities necessary to create change. Together they protested and eventually their demands were met. One of these changes required all nursing positions be advertised.
Reading was one of Sandra’s many interests. She found the work of Deepak Chopra particularly enlightening and submersed herself in Transcendental Meditation. She was fastidious in her personal appearance and always exuded elegance. She enjoyed the company of friends and entertained regularly. Her baking skills were unsurpassed.
Despite her painful struggles and surgeries for an arthritic condition, Sandra continued to enjoy playing tennis which, whenever possible, became a part of her Saturday morning routine. Her love of tennis was such that one year she attended the U.S. Open. Her diet was very important and she adhered to one which related to the suppression of her arthritis. She even travelled to an holistic centre in Mexico to become more knowledgable about the best diet for her medical condition.
She enjoyed travel and always encouraged friends to join her as she visited Brazil, many Caribbean Islands and the American continent. Her friend Meredith Smith recalled their trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico where they indulged in a mutual love of Native American history, art galleries, museums and the culinary scene. In later years they travelled to attend a Breast Cancer Conference in South Africa.
Upon her retirement she became a volunteer for the Red Cross and the Administrator for the Matilda Smith-Williams Home.
I was surprised when she accepted a position as the nanny for a little girl. She just did not seem the type to have the patience for child care, but Sandra explained that this was one experience in life she had missed and wanted to experience the joy of caring for a child. What fun they had together, visiting the Aquarium, the Agricultural exhibition and all the activities involved in looking after a little girl. She felt that this experience helped her to see the world in a different light, through the eyes of a child, and she loved it. Eventually she moved on to the Bermuda Housing Trust where she was the support services co-ordinator.
Sandra Allen was the consummate professional who will always be remembered for her straight forward no nonsense attitude and her willingness to mentor others. She always gave of her best and expected everyone working with her to deliver a stellar performance.
Sandra Allen died in 2021 at the age of 80.