Visitors to Hawkesbury Hospital took a step back as they walked into the foyer on Friday, May 12, when confronted by a vision from the past – a dozen nurses arrayed in nurses’ uniforms from early to mid 20th century.
With traditional nurses’ veils and carrying lamps like Florence Nightingale, the merry band celebrated everything that’s good about nursing.
The mood was very jolly throughout the wards, with many nurses wearing paper nurses’ caps from the 1960s. One said she’s love to wear it all the time.
The hospital also ran a competition with each section doing a display on the history of nursing. One had home-made lifesize models (like a scarecrow) arrayed in scrubs ready to go into theatre, as well as walls of historic photos, balloons and a tablecloth for supporters to write their comments about how they feel about the nurses in that section.
The hospital’s director of mission Lisa Connell floated about in a nun’s habit and rosary, recognising the contribution nuns have made to the profession. When asked if she felt like she had to behave differently while wearing a flowing black habit, she smiled and said “yes, definitely!”.
Vivienne Beggs was one of the ‘historic’ nurses. Officially retired, she did her training at Royal Prince Alfred with a year of midwifery at King George V, both on Missenden Road at Camperdown. She nursed for 52 years and didn’t retire until she was 71.
She’s now on the hospital’s Community Board of Advice and its safety and quality committee. “And the falls and pressure injury working party!” she said, proving it’s a hard profession to walk away from.
A nurse is also heading the good ship Hawkesbury Hospital at the moment as CEO Strephon Billinghurst is away. Director of Nursing and Midwifery Scott Daczko is acting CEO, which must feel great after starting his nursing career at Hawkesbury in 1994. “In the old building,” he added.
He went on to do 10 years in emergency at Nepean then Westmead then came back to Hawkesbury as director of nursing. “Being a local (Grose Wold), the interest was what I could give back,” he said.
When asked how it feels working in such a female-dominated profession, he laughed and said “it feels fantastic!”. “But in nursing we all have significant professional respect for each other, no matter what your gender,” he added.
“Nursing as a career has given me some wonderful opportunities, in my working and personal life. It has a flexible roster – if I have to attend something at my children’s school I can.
“Professionally, it’s more about opportunities in education, such as becoming a nurse practitioner. It’s a post-grad qualification and you can specialise in areas such as emergency, palliative, aged care or diabetes. You have to do a year’s extra study and 1500 hours of advanced clinical practice working under supervision. They can prescribe drugs too.”
He said there weren’t any nurse practitioners at Hawkesbury currently but they were looking to hire some for emergency.
When the Gazette left some of the begowned nurses were about to tuck into a big morning tea.
