The day recognises Florence Nightingale’s birthday, but ERH director of nursing June Dyson said it was also an opportunity to thank the hospital’s nursing staff.
‘‘It just gives us a day to come out and reflect on many great stories from various careers and share a little bit of fun together when we look back on how things used to be and how we’ve all progressed,’’ she said.
‘‘But really, it’s just a celebration of all things nursing and to thank our team for the amazing work they do every single day they come to work.’’
Ms Dyson got into the spirit of the day, dressing up in a traditional nursing uniform.
‘‘There are a few of us dinosaurs still around the place who trained in the hospital tradition — but I appear to be the only person who was able to rustle up an old uniform here, I’m not sure what that tells you about me,’’ she said.
‘‘I actually trained in England and if I was doing matron’s rounds I would be in navy and would have been very ferocious.’’
To top off her uniform — her first nurse’s cap from when she came to Australia.
‘‘I’m not sure I would have quite passed muster,’’ she said. ‘‘Probably a little more Napisan on the cap would have been more appropriate, it was very particular back then.
‘‘But it just shows the changes that have occurred in health and sometimes looking back at things that have happened in the past, it gives us a really good reflection on how much knowledge we have gained and how different health services are today to how they were when a lot of us were young nurses.’’
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