Nurse retires after 51 years
Senior staff nurse Kathy Smith has retired after 51 years of NHS service. Kathy worked on Mirrlees ward at Conquest Hospital having begun her nursing career as a student nurse at Farnborough Hospital in Kent on 18th September 1965.
Staff nurse Lynsey Sadler said, “Kathy is a well-loved and hugely respected member of the Mirrlees nursing team and will be sorely missed. She has always been willing to share her abundance of knowledge and experience. Kathy has always maintained exacting standards and helped us to do the same. She is a dedicated nurse who displays a high level of professionalism. We will miss her!”
She added “In her time as a nurse Kathy has helped countless patients but she would say she is particularly proud of the fact that she was mentor to Maria Garcia, now matron of Mirrlees ward, when she first arrived from the Philippines 13 years ago.”
Matron Maria Garcia said “I would not be the nurse I am today if it had not been for Kathy’s support and guidance.”
Mirrlees ward would also like to thank M&S Hastings and Bexhill and also Poundland in Hastings for their kind donations towards the Surprise party held for Kathy at the Conquest.
After qualifying Kathy continued to work at Farnborough until 1970 when she married and moved to Hastings. She worked at the Royal East Sussex Hospital for 5 years before getting a post in Women’s Health at the Buchanan Hospital. This was a busy time for Kathy, alongside her work she raised four children and was Mayoress of Hastings for a period of time. She moved up to the Conquest Hospital when it opened in 1997 where gynaecology was incorporated into Gardiner Ward before it moved to Mirrlees as a dedicated ward.
