Nursing: ‘desire to help humanity’

Nursing isn’t for the faint hearted – just ask 89 year old former registered nurse, Marjorie Jorgensen.

“Nursing gets in your blood,” she says. “It is a demanding job; ‘a calling’ and needs total commitment.”

But while it can be an “absorbing career”, Ms Jorgensen, now a Northridge Salem aged care resident in Queensland, says in most instances, nursing is “well worthwhile”.

She began working as a nurse at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in 1942 during World War II when private hospitals were closed and there was a shortage of staff.

“We had a couple of bomb scares and, during the drills in the ward, we needed to take patients who were unable to get out of bed and put them under the beds,” Ms Jorgensen recalls.

“A hospital ship [the AHS Centaur], with all of the lights blazing and wearing the Red Cross symbol, was hit by a torpedo off Caloundra and there was a colossal loss of life of Australian medical personnel.

“I lost many good friends and it sent shudders throughout the hospital when that happened.”

Ms Jorgensen can pinpoint many changes in the nursing sector over the years.

“For one thing, nurses are no longer required to wear veils… and nurses in our day weren’t expected to marry as we were considered ‘married to the job’, and if you did marry you were expected to retire when working in a hospital situation,” she explains.

For Ms Jorgensen, a good nurse requires commitment, a desire to help humanity and an interest in the medical field.

Her advice to young and upcoming nurses is simple: “go for it!”

She says “be prepared to do as much study as you can and get trained. Pursue your career as part of yourself.”

In particular, Ms Jorgensen admires the nurses who care for her at Northridge Salem.

“The nurses are remarkable here. They are a very good bunch; good camaraderie and they’re willing to help.”

And Ms Jorgensen’s presence doesn’t go unnoticed either. Northridge Salem director of nursing, Maxine Noone, appreciates having the veteran nurse around. “She can teach all of us nurses a thing or two,” Ms Noone says.