VALLEY — The reasons we have for holding a particular job varies from person to person. For some it’s the money and others, the status. But for Derick Robinson, it’s a love of nursing and getting to spend time with his family that drives him.

Robinson works full-time as a flight nurse for Lifesaver out of Cusseta and part-time as a registered nurse with the ER at EAMC-Lanier in Valley.

“I like it,” he said. “It’s challenging and it has its benefits.”

Robinson’s story starts a few years ago when he got into nursing school. He had been working at Lifesaver and also as a firefighter in Atlanta.

“I had started missing out on my family life,” he said. “Life is already too short and my family is my whole life.”

In 2012, he got into nursing school and after finishing, Ryan Earnest with EAMC-Lanier, a friend of his, helped secure his position with the hospital. He started in December 2016.

Robinson added that he has worked in big city and small town hospitals, with his preference being the small places.

“Working in large hospitals, the people there are like robots and are not as personable,” he said. “I enjoy being around people. I’m a talker.”

Robinson noted that one of the best things for him is seeing someone coming out of a bad situation and actually helping them get better.

“I treat them like I’d treat a member of my family,” he said. “That’s how I was raised.”

His schedule as both a flight and ER nurse allows him plenty of time to spend with his family, including his wife, Ginger, and four kids: 12-year-old son Wesley, 10-year-old daughter Samantha, 5-year-old daughter AnnaBelle and 2-year-old son Garrett.

“We’re in the middle of baseball, gymnastics and softball season now,” Robinson said. “We recently visited the beach as sort of mini-vacation.”

He added that he, himself, is a big sports fan, specifically baseball.

“I love watching the (Atlanta) Braves but I also like watching the Red Sox,” he said, noting he is also fond of watching the Dallas Cowboys and Auburn University.

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