From Choiseul to London, the nursing journey of Otillear Tia Athanase

From humble beginnings in Choiseul, Otillear Tia Athanase has built her career through resilience and determination.

Her parents were farmers and beekeepers. After finishing Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School in 1996, she says she “had no clear plan” for her future. Her journey into healthcare began when a nurse suggested to her mother that she apply to the St Jude Hospital Volunteer Programme – a simple idea that changed her life.

At 17, she started working on the surgical ward. She felt “uncertainty and apprehension, but also a quiet determination to find my path”. Soon, that experience gave her a sense of purpose. Within eight months, she got a full-time job and decided to become a nurse.

Her early path was not easy. She remembers having to “resit Mathematics three times at CXC level” before she could get into nursing school. Instead of giving up, this taught her to “never give up on a goal, even in the face of failure”. In 2002, she graduated with an award for professionalism and returned to St Jude as a qualified nurse, which she calls a source of “immense pride”.

Looking for new opportunities, Athanase moved to the UK in 2005. She faced challenges right away, as her first job at King Edward VII Hospital ended just months after she arrived. With her visa about to expire, she found a new job in the National Health Service “on the very last day of my Visa grace period”, which she calls “divine timing”.

Her career picked up quickly. She specialized in intensive care, earned a Bachelor of Science in Intensive Care Nursing, and moved into senior roles. Moving to London gave her even more experience and led her to leadership positions, where she found she enjoyed guiding teams and managing complex healthcare settings.

In 2012, she made another big move and went to Saudi Arabia to work as a matron of an Intensive Care Unit, a job that was “three levels above my previous position”. This experience challenged her to adapt to a new culture and helped her grow in confidence and leadership.

When she returned to the UK, Athanase rebuilt her career step by step, moving from senior staff nurse to ICU sister. She later earned a Master of Science in Leadership and Management and took extra training in project management. Now, she is a duty manager at The Wellington Hospital, responsible for patient safety, staff support and operations. She calls this role “both a privilege and the pinnacle of my journey so far”.

Behind her professional success is a personal story of hardship and resilience. She openly talks about her early days after moving, when she was “living out of my car and relying on leftover meals from the hospital where I worked.” She describes those weeks as “a humbling and, at times, isolating experience,” but says they showed her an inner strength that shaped her future.

She says that time “reshaped my perspective” and taught her resilience “on a deeper level”. It also made her more determined and gave her a stronger sense of purpose, both as a nurse and as a person. Most of those struggles are now behind her, but she jokes that she is still getting used to “the British winter”.

Athanase says her progress comes from having a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to caring for others. Even when she doubted herself, she learned to “rise above what I often call the ‘noise’ and remain anchored in my purpose”. Now, she sees challenges as chances to grow, not as setbacks.

Her work has not gone unnoticed. Being featured on a prominent UK healthcare platform was, she says, “both humbling and affirming”.  For her, the recognition proved that “dedication and authenticity do not go unnoticed,” even though she works out of passion, not for praise.

Even with all she has achieved, Athanase stays humble and keeps looking for ways to grow. She still pushes herself and often asks, “What’s next?”

Her advice to young St Lucian nurses who want to follow a similar path is clear and practical. She tells them to “start planning early” and be intentional about their goals. She says, “Preparation is everything,” and also points out how important it is to be resilient, adaptable and believe in yourself.