A nursing career like no other in the Royal Navy

Pursuing a nursing career alongside a successful sporting lifestyle is not an opportunity that comes around very often, unless you are a Royal Navy nurse, that is.

Lt Cdr Sarah Taborda and Lt Kiani Pay both took the leap of faith into becoming nurses in the Royal Navy with one of the huge attractions being the sporting opportunities the Royal Navy provides alongside a career in nursing. 

An avid equestrian since the age of five, Sarah left school unsure of which career path to take. She started working in a nursing home and fell in love with caring for people. Coming from a military family, it made sense to follow her ancestral lines and Sarah joined the Royal Navy as a student nurse in 2006, qualifying three years later in 2009, joining the Royal Navy Equestrian Association just after. 

Sarah said, “My Grandfather and Father were both in the military and my Godfather was a Naval Barrister who played polo for the Royal Navy many years ago.

“I always knew I was going to join the military at some point with my family ties but I was not sure what I wanted to do. I started enrolling as a pilot but then started working as a carer and fell in love with caring for people and realised nursing was for me. I joined the Royal Navy and seventeen years later I am still here, I could not imagine doing anything else.”

Kiani obtained a nursing degree with the NHS, graduating in 2016 and joining the Royal Navy in 2017, signing up to the Royal Navy Netball Association straight away. 

Family ties also had an influence on Kiani’s career, she said, “My Mum is a paramedic and I always loved listening to her stories. I have always been into a lot of sport and it was Mum who pointed out that it might be challenging to pursue a career in the NHS and have time to play sport. 

“It was then that we started looking at the armed forces and what they can offer. The opportunity to pursue my career as a nurse alongside playing netball and even athletics in the summer. It is something that is incomparable in the outside world.”

It is not just the opportunity to participate and compete in sport that makes a career in Royal Navy nursing so special, but the mental and physical health benefits it offers. 

Kiani said, “I have been incredibly lucky in my career so far that all my bosses have understood the importance of balance and the impact sport has on both your mental and physical health and in turn, your ability to do your job.

“Having that balance is incredible, it is what allows me to come back to the clinical side of my job and still have that happiness and passion for my work.”

Both Kiani and Sarah worked on the front line through the covid pandemic and the release sport provided to help build resilience and support their mental health during that time was invaluable. 

Sarah said, “The national effort was looking after the NHS and patients with covid and it was hard, intense work. 

“Having that ability to break away and do something, in work time, was vital. It gave me something to look forward to and without the Royal Navy I would not have had that.” 

The supportive environment that comes with the nature of Royal Navy Sports Associations is one that lends itself to being both operationally and clinically effective in nursing life. 

Kiani compared life on the netball court to her daily nursing life, saying, “the teamwork and camaraderie you have on the court lends itself perfectly to the situations you face in nursing. We are often thrown together with small teams in our role as a nurse so the skills are transferable.” 

Unlike netball, equestrian sports are often participated in solo but Sarah said, “being part of the Royal Navy Equestrian Association is different to some civilian riding clubs where disciplines train separately and we all train together. All ranks and disciplines are part of the same team.

“We really try to bring those positive attributes from sport back into the working environment, especially when making difficult decisions. That supportive network that being a part of Royal Navy sport provides, we try to bring that energy back with us from our training camps and competitions to our teams at work.” 

It is not always easy balancing life and a career in the Royal Navy but recognition and opportunities to progress in both your education professionally and in sport are unlike any other. 

Sarah said just some of the highlights of her career so far have been “during the pandemic I was the head of department for critical care at Derriford which was a big moment for me. 

“I also marched out my division at Dartford in our passing out parade. 

“Riding at Inter-Service level for the Royal Navy team has been a big one. We won the Inter-Services at home for the first time in around twenty years and being a part of the team that did that is something I am incredibly proud of.”

Kiani said, “The opportunities I have had in netball alongside my career have been amazing. I was nominated for sportswoman of the year last year and opportunities like that just do not come up outside of the Royal Navy. The chance to be recognised for your contributions to sport in such a way and all at the same time as being a nurse.

The Royal Navy will allow you to pursue your education while investing in your career with them. It is so nice to see an organisation investing in their people and the nurse practitioner route is coming more into force within the Navy, there is an exciting future ahead for us.”