International Nurses Day - a Special Occasion at Mercy Place Mont Clare

International Nurses Day will cut through the generations at Mercy Place Mont Clare, as retired nurses who are now residents of the not-for-profit aged care home celebrate their careers of caring alongside current nursing staff.

Amongst those who will be reminiscing with a celebratory morning tea is retired midwife and current Mercy Health resident Maureen McAuliffe, who also worked as a theatre nurse for many years in the UK, while her husband studied to be an eye surgeon.

She will be joined by 90 year old Gaye Galvin, who worked as a nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital for many years during a career that spanned close to seven decades.

Their nursing stories strike a particular chord for Mercy Place Mont Clare Service Manager, Jenny Jones, who had a passion to become a nurse from a young age, and began studying towards her ‘calling’ at 17 years of age, before later returning to study a bachelor’s degree, focusing on aged care.

“I think my passion for nursing in aged care stems from my younger years, my parents were farmers and worked a lot so it was my grandparents that really raised me,” says Ms Jones, who has also held roles as a clinical nurse manager and facilities manager.

“I’ve worked at Mercy Place Mont Clare for over three years, I love the policy we have here which is about building relationships and acknowledging residents for who they are and not making them fit into some sort of institution.

“That is why we have a lovely homelike environment here, and I think sharing the common bond of loving our careers in nursing is why Maureen, Gaye and myself have a particularly strong friendship.”

International Nurses’ Day is an annual celebration of nursing held across the globe on 12 May - Florence Nightingale’s birthday - and which pays tribute to the nursing profession and the magnificent contribution of nurses worldwide.

The day of celebrations will see Mercy Place Mont Clare nurses and residents treated to a celebratory morning tea, and for the retired nurses at the Home, a trip down memory lane.

Click here to find out more about Mercy Health's aged care services.