Ulster Hospital Midwife, Sandra Graham who lives in Dundonald, has retired after an incredible 43 years’ service!
Sandra, who is originally from Scotland, began her nursing journey in 1980 as a Student Nurse in Perth Royal Infirmary before moving to Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh to continue working as a Student Midwife.
Once a fully qualified Staff Midwife, Sandra then relocated to Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh for a period of time. While working as a Sister in Falkirk Royal Infirmary in Falkirk, Sandra then made the decision to move to Saudi Arabia to take up the position of Head of Midwifery in Fahad Military Medical Complex. She worked in this role for a number of years before deciding to move to Northern Ireland with her new husband in 1999 to take up a new position as a Midwife in the Maternity Unit of the Ulster Hospital. Sandra continued to work in the Labour Ward and in the Maternity Outpatients Department for the remainder of her career, creating an environment of bespoke care for each family that passed through the doors of the Maternity Unit.
Looking back on her career, Sandra reflected, “During my time working in the Ulster Hospital, I have made lots of amazing friends and colleagues, but most importantly, I have had the pleasure and privilege of caring for women and sharing the special times in their lives, bringing new life into the world and on occasions sharing their sadness and supporting them when their little ones were too special for this world.
“I am now moving into a new chapter of my life. I would like to say a huge thank you to all who I have met along this journey of work. I am truly blessed to have had this career. Of course, for a little while, I will be in to do the odd bank shift, you can’t get rid of me just yet!”
Midwife, Natasha Mellon who worked alongside Sandra in the Labour Ward said, “Sandra was recently nominated for the Royal College of Midwifery (RCM) Exceptional Midwife Award, by her peers for going that extra mile to help her colleagues. This just illustrates Sandra’s dedication to the role and how valued she is by her peers and for everything that she has done during her time as a Midwife. I would like to wish Sandra a very happy retirement!”