'Dedicated' school nurse retires after 45 years
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS TrustA "dedicated" nurse who has served the NHS for nearly half a century is retiring.
Hazel Hawkins-Dady kicked off her career at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton in May 1980, days after turning 18, and worked in a variety of roles over the 45 years that followed.
Eight years into her NHS journey, she found her passion and became a school nurse.
"I can only ever remember wanting to be a nurse and being able to have the opportunity to care for people and try and make a difference." she said.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust"I have always believed that the best asset the NHS has is its staff. I have found nursing challenging at times yet very rewarding and you never stop learning," Hawkins-Dady said.
"I feel very privileged to have worked alongside all my colleagues and friends, in various ways, past and present. In particular though, I feel very honoured to have worked with our school nurses who are consummate professionals."
She has been praised for her "continuous growth" and "unwavering commitment".
Catherine Draycott and Emily Bloomfield, described themselves as "the very lucky ones who have had the privilege of working really closely as her team leaders for the past five years."
"We honestly don't know what we will do without Hazel. But what we do know is she has prepared us well," they said.
"She has paved the way for us to continue championing school nursing for many years to come."
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