Former registered nurses honoured in Kāpiti rest home

Eldon Lodge's former registed nurses Jill Murphy, left, Grace Goodwin, Robert Thompson, Eleanor Carr, Moyna Gorgevich, Jeanie Strang. Photo / Rosalie Willis

In a year which highlighted the importance of nurses and the sacrifices they make in doing their job, it's fitting that 2020 was the celebration of the International Year of the Nurse, endorsed by the World Health Organisation.

Not wanting to forget those who paved the way for modern nurses today, Oceania Healthcare have created a commemorative pin to honour and thank over 140 former registered nurses who call Oceania home.

Among the former registered nurses are those who looked after soldiers who returned from the frontline of World War II and the Vietnam War, cared for polio and tuberculosis patients, looked after patients being treated with the iron lung and were witness to the first open heart surgeries at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland.

Former registered nurse Jeanie Strang showing her commemorative pin with Neethu Kuzhuppilly from Eldon Lodge. Photo / Rosalie Willis

In Kāpiti yesterday, six nurses at Eldon Lodge Rest Home were honoured for the sacrifices they made in their careers with a special afternoon tea and presentation ceremony.

"The best part about being a nurse was looking after the elderly in the Buchanan ward at the Greytown Old People's Home," Eldon resident Moyna Gorgerich said.

She was a nurse at the time of Queen Elizabeth's visit to New Zealand and remembers heading out with her fellow nurses to catch a glimpse of the Queen.

For Jeanie Strang, another Eldon resident, her favourite part of nursing was also looking after the elderly.

To celebrate 2020 as International Year of the Nurse, Oceania Healthcare has created a commemorative pin to honour over 140 former nurses who call Oceania home. Photo / Rosalie Willis

Talking about their careers over afternoon tea was a special time for the former registered nurses with Moyna and Jeanie delightedly discovering they had both worked in Greytown at Buchanan and later discovering they were even there around the same time.

"I enjoyed getting to know the residents and hearing about them and all their family," Jeanie said.

"My dad tried to convince me out of being a nurse, but I proved him wrong and stuck it out for 30 years.

"I saw how some patients were treated by doctors and other staff and wanted to treat them better.

"I always thought how would I like to be treated?"

Moyna Gorgerich with a photo of herself from 1953 during her nursing days. Photo / Rosalie Willis

Jeanie spent the majority of her time doing night shifts which worked out well for seeing her children off to school before sleeping during the day and seeing them again before they went to bed.

Robert Thompson began his nursing training in 1945 at Silverstream Hospital before moving to work in a psychiatric hospital in 1952.

"I worked with a lot of different, disturbed people," he said.

Also working in a number of construction and labouring jobs, Robert found his place working with mentally ill people.

Oceania commissioned Sutcliffe Jewellery to design the one-off commemorative pin featuring the symbol of the oil lamp - the significance of which dates back to the service of Florence Nightingale, otherwise known as The Lady of the Lamp during the Crimean War.