WHEN Cheryl McWilliams began working as nurse at Mater, she thought her next career move would be to Melbourne.
Thirty-five years on, Ms McWilliams is still with Mater and is one of 25 nurses at Mater Private Hospital Redland who will be celebrating long-service milestones this month.
The Clinical Nurse was among the first recruits at the Redland facility when it opened in 2001 and says she has never regretted her decision to spend her career at Mater.
“I have had so many opportunities in different nursing roles at Redland, and those of us who have been here from the beginning have grown as the hospital has grown,” said Ms McWilliams, who is currently the hospital’s Infection Control Practitioner.
“There is a great community feel here. I’ve made so many wonderful friendships and you form bonds with patients too, as many of them need to come to us regularly or you already know from the community.”
As well as Mater’s annual Long Service Awards, the hospital’s 239 nurses also celebrated International Nurses Day on May 12.
International Nurses Day marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and celebrates the contribution nurses make to healthcare across the world.
“Being a nurse is much more than a job to me, it’s part of my identity,” Ms McWilliams, 57, said.
“I love having the opportunity to care for other people and have days when you or your team have made a real difference to someone’s life.”
Also celebrating her 25th year of service at Mater Private Hospital Redland will be Enrolled Nurse Sandra French, who works in the hospital’s Day Surgery Unit.
Ms French, 68, trained as a nurse after working as a mum and receptionist and has never looked back.
“It’s been a privilege to work as a nurse for 25 years,” the grandmother-of-seven said.
“You get to meet so many different people and if you can do something for them – whether it’s allaying their fears or making them more comfortable – you have made a difference.
“I don’t know when I will retire from nursing because I know I will miss it so much.
“It’s a way of life that I love.”
Mater Private Hospital Redland General Manager Chris Junge thanked all of the facility’s nurses for their contribution to patient care in the Bayside.
“Our nurses are at the heart of everything Mater does,” Mr Junge said.
“We could not provide the care we do without their extraordinary dedication, skill and compassion.”
