Brümilda Swartbooi
City employees in Region A are no strangers to Senior Occupational Health Nurse Thato Williams’ friendly face and bubbly personality. She’s known for her infectious laugh and for putting patients at ease with her warm humour. “Humour goes a long way – everyone loves to laugh,” she says. “Interacting with people is healing for me,” she adds.
In her role, no two days are the same. Thato is responsible for conducting employee medical surveillances, screenings, biological monitoring, and risk assessments of City-owned facilities. When she’s not out in the field hosting wellness days, she’s at her desk compiling detailed reports.
“We do a lot of health education and medical surveillance, and we cater to various City entities like Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and City Power, among others,” she explains.
Thato’s passion for nursing began as a student, inspired by the sight of professional nurses in their crisp uniforms who carried themselves with pride. Today, she serves the City with that same sense of honour and purpose. She joined the City of Johannesburg in 2019, starting at primary healthcare facilities in Zandspruit and Parkhurst. In 2022, she was promoted to her current role after obtaining her qualification in Occupational Health.
Between 2016 and 2019, Thato worked in provincial government clinics, gaining valuable experience, especially in informal environments. Over the years, she’s learned the importance of showing empathy in her work. With her aunt also an occupational health nurse, Thato proudly carries on a family legacy. She began her nursing education at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, but later transferred to the University of Johannesburg to be closer to her family in Potchefstroom, where she completed her qualification. She later pursued a master’s degree and is currently working towards her PhD.
Raised in Potchefstroom, Thato credits her parents for giving her a strong foundation. “My dad is pro-education and always motivated me academically, while my mother is the perfect example of a hardworking and resilient woman,” she says. “Family is first and paramount.”
When she’s not fulfilling her roles as an Occupational Health Nurse, student, and mother, Thato focuses on her physical and spiritual well-being – whether it’s swimming, going to the gym, reading a good book, or attending church. She’s mastered the art of balancing multiple responsibilities.
“Show up every day as the best you can,” she says.
Her message to fellow nurses comes from a timeless quote by Florence Nightingale:
“Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses; we must be learning all our lives.”
SOURCED FROM THE JOBURG WEBSITE.
