A midwife who was described by Hawkesbury Hospital’s general manager as ‘‘one of the greatest colleagues I have ever had the privilege of employing’’ has called it quits after almost 30 years.
Having delivered hundreds of Hawkesbury babies, registered nurse and midwife Annette Cassidy retired last month from the Hawkesbury District Health Service.
The Hawkesbury resident spoke to the Gazette about her experiences at the hospital.
‘‘There was a sense of a human element and a personal touch in the hospital which made women feel comfortable and made the staff feel like advocates of hope,’’ Mrs Cassidy said.
She joined the old hospital in Ross Street, Windsor in 1985 as the new charge sister of maternity and maintained that position at both the old and new hospital for 15 years.
She said she ‘‘grew as a person’’, learning compassion and sensitivity which ‘‘completed her as a midwife’’.
‘‘When I first started out at Ross Street, I was in complete shock because it was a little cottage with a couple of bedrooms converted into delivery suites,’’ Mrs Cassidy said.
‘‘We had patients arrive to us by boat from McGraths Hill during the floods and had to do everything the old school way.
‘‘But you know what? The women absolutely loved it and it made us feel like we were at home.
‘‘This really brought all the staff and patients closer.’’
While managing the maternity ward, Mrs Cassidy also managed the paediatric ward.
In 2000 she was made deputy director of nursing and bed manager.
‘‘I decided to take my career one step further and was put in charge of rostering all nurses and doctors,’’ Mrs Cassidy said.
‘‘The demanding role meant I had to look after patient flow, bed management and forward closures which I enjoyed very much.’’
Mrs Cassidy said the hospital offered her new challenges and opportunities through her career to teach others.
‘‘I got a buzz from teaching nurses in maternity,’’ she said.
‘‘I really enjoyed sharing my skills with them and helping them solve any problems.
‘‘Employing younger staff and watching them develop, grow and blossom was definitely a career highlight.
‘‘I loved giving people opportunities and really enjoyed interviewing potential staff and feeling their enthusiasm.’’
General manager Peter Blanchard said Mrs Cassidy would be greatly missed for her exceptional attitude.
‘‘She will remain in our minds and memories as one of the greatest colleagues I have ever had the privilege of employing,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve had unconditional trust in her and believe she contributed and added tremendous value to nursing care.’’
Diagnosed with a serious illness, Mrs Cassidy said she decided it was time to ‘‘sit back and smell the roses’’.
‘‘I might get involved in disabilities, or maybe even do a TAFE course, start gardening and even some cooking.
‘‘It’s completely removed from nursing but I have come to realise that I’m pretty important too and I need to focus on me now.’’
