Nurse recognised with BEM for work during pandemic

Kevamae Sobers attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace to meet up with fellow BEM recipients.

A Nottingham nurse has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kevamae Sobers moved to the UK from Barbados in 2020 and worked in the orthopaedics and diabetes wards at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

The BEM is awarded for hands-on, active involvement in the local community that has made a significant, positive difference to people’s lives.

She recently attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace along with other BEM recipients and she will collect her medal during a ceremony in September.

Kevamae Sobers (right) has dedicated her medal to "all of the international nurses who came and assisted the NHS during its direst time of need"

Mrs Sobers says she is still wondering why she was nominated for the award and that it took a while for her to confirm that it was all legitimate.

“I received an email from the honorary secretariat informing me of the award.

"I was reluctant to respond at first but I did and it turned out to be legitimate. I wondered why me? And who nominated me? I was then sworn to secrecy until they did their final checks. I couldn’t even tell my husband.”

The 49-year-old added that she was just being her "normal self" and hasn't worked any differently since moving to the UK.

"You never know who's watching you and how you deal with your colleagues, other people and patients. The same manner of professionalism that I had back home in Barbados, I've transferred it here and not done anything different."

The British Empire Medal is awarded for “hands-on” service to the community in a local geographical area. Something that Kevamae and hundreds of other staff at Queens Medical Centre had to prepare for in the early stages of the pandemic.

“We all stepped up to the plate when asked to give assistance at higher level. We hadn’t even finished our practical final exams which we were required to do. Covid prevented that. The decision was made to then place us on the temporary register to step up but in a safe way”

Mrs Sobers was keen to emphasise that the award symbolises all of the work during the pandemic from all the international nurses during a difficult period in local hospitals.

"We do what we do best, we fulfilled the mandate that was expected of us, not a single patient came into harm under our care. Even though I've been singled out for the award. It's really for every single international nurse who came and assisted the NHS during its direst time of need."

She and her husband attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace which was attended by other recipients.

"It was lovely to rub shoulders with so many people who were also being recognised for their achievements," she added.

"It was also nice to be able to have a conversation with Princess Beatrice about traveling to Barbados and my award as well."