26/08/2026
Meet Nichelle Thomas, a registered nurse and Certified Perioperative Nurse whose career reflects a steadfast commitment to clinical excellence, nursing scholarship, leadership and service.
Nichelle earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of The Bahamas in Fall 2017. Following the completion of her undergraduate nursing education, she began her professional career at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, where she initially served as a staff nurse in the Medical-Surgical Department for one year. She later transitioned to the Surgical Services Department, gaining experience in both the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and the Main Operating Theatre. Nichelle also spent one year working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), an area of nursing she considers her second professional love, aside from perioperative nursing. Nichelle currently works as a Perioperative Nurse at Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Her commitment to service and professional development extends beyond the workplace. Nichelle is a member of the illustrious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN); the Nurses Association of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; the American Nurses Association; and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Graduate Nursing Student Academy. She previously served as the Graduate Nursing Student Academy Liaison for Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing.
Nichelle is currently pursuing a PhD in Nursing Science at Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing. Her doctoral research focuses on nurse well-being in Bahamian hospital settings, specifically exploring nurses’ perceptions of the external and individual factors that affect their well-being. Through her research, she hopes to provide evidence to inform nursing practice, workforce policies and initiatives that promote nurse well-being, while strengthening the sustainability and retention of the Bahamian nursing workforce.
Nichelle’s long-term goal is to contribute to the continued development and advancement of the nursing profession in The Bahamas by helping to strengthen nursing education, practice, research, leadership and policy. She is committed to advancing the profession in ways that align with modern international standards while remaining responsive to the unique needs of the Bahamian healthcare system.
She has received recognition for her academic achievement, leadership and service. Her honors include being a current recipient of The Bahamas National Tuition Scholarship, the Betty Rosendahl Wagner Endowed Scholarship for 2024–2025 and being a 2019 recipient of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas National Youth Award in Leadership and Community Service.
Nichelle chose nursing because she wanted a professional career in which she could touch, change and save lives. As her career has evolved, that purpose has expanded from caring for individual patients to advocating for the nurses who provide that care and helping to shape the future of the profession.
Beyond her professional and academic pursuits, Nichelle values spending quality time with her family and enjoys traveling and shopping. For Nichelle, nursing is more than a profession; it is an opportunity to serve, influence change, advance the profession and contribute meaningfully to the health and well-being of individuals, nurses and communities throughout The Bahamas.
Congratulations, Nurse Thomas! Your valuable contributions to the nursing profession are greatly valued and appreciated.