According to former Head of Community Nursing, Irene Warnock, retirement is ‘just a date.’ Irene was speaking as she said goodbye to the NHS after more than 38 years service. Her memories included sitting in her granny’s kitchen applying for nursing jobs, and a letter received at the start of training, asking her to report for duty with two pairs of brown shoes, brown tights and white Kirby grips to keep her hat in place! She also recalled her first wage – £74 a month – and staying in the nurses’ home at the back of the former Stirling Royal Infirmary.
Presenting gifts, which included a framed picture of an artist’s impression of Stirling Royal Infirmary and money to build a hen house, Kathy O’Neill, General Manager for the Community Services Directorate, praised Irene’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, keenness to embrace all things new and ‘can do’ attitude.
Irene held a wide variety of posts throughout her long nursing career. These included staff nurse in various wards, district nurse/midwife, advanced nurse practitioner in community hospitals, anticipatory care lead and a spell in GP out-of-hours services.
She intends to spend her retirement with grandchildren, collecting eggs from her new hen house (hopefully) and “possibly doing some arty things at college”.
