Newcastle Nurse’s Career Comes To a Close After 62 Years

Dawn Pye, a part-time registered nurse at BaptistCare Warabrook Centre, has had a rare career spanning over six decades. If she is not Australia’s longest serving nurse, she must be close.

On Tuesday 30 January, Dawn (pictured on the left) completed her nursing career of 62 years after having commenced nursing in her early twenties, and was farewelled by BaptistCare Warabrook Centre into a well-deserved retirement.

The high pace and demanding environment of nursing requires a certain tenacity and resilience, and when Dawn looks back over her many years of service, she proudly says she made the right choice when she began her training back in 1955.

“I can honestly say, I cannot ever imagine not being a nurse,” says Dawn. “It has been an interesting career. I have found my niche in life - I don’t know what else I would have done.”

“When I started in 1955, it was either teaching or nursing in those days, and I chose nursing, much to my mother’s disgust. She said, ‘You have never been in a hospital Dawn. How are you going to cope?’”

“I lived in the country and responded with, ‘well I’ve seen animals and things, I guess’. I just went from there,” said Dawn.

Dawn trained in New Zealand and did general nursing at Auckland Hospital. She then went to the International Women’s and completed her maternity training.

“I’ve done a lot of things over the years, but I really enjoyed caring for the babies,” says Dawn.

“I then did some nursing in the country in the Bay of Islands, near my parents. After that I did some travelling. I came to Australia, where I stayed almost a year.”

The traveling continued with a few years in England, then Dawn found herself back in New Zealand, maternity nursing in the country to be near her parents. “That was an experience! You don’t have anything like you do in the city. You have to learn very quickly.”

Dawn returned to Australia briefly, and shortly after married an Australian and returned here to live.

“I had two children and a break from nursing while they were young. We had a business at the time so I helped with that,” she said.

Dawn went back to nursing with a focus on the other end of the age spectrum, becoming Deputy Director of Nursing at an aged care centre in Lake Macquarie where she worked for 14 years.

“I left in 1996 planning to retire, but I didn’t,” says Dawn.

“I have actually retired three times but then the phone has gone and somebody needs a hand.”

Dawn joined BaptistCare in 1997 and now works two days a week, providing personalised care to the 153 residents that call BaptistCare Warabrook Centre home. 

Residential Manager, Emma Chesterfield, has only praise for Dawn and her approach to her work.

“Dawn’s enthusiasm and passion for her work is obvious. She has guided and mentored so many Registered Nurses at BaptistCare Warabrook Centre and her contribution to BaptistCare and her profession is outstanding,” said Emma.  

When asked about retiring, Dawn laughed and said she’s ready.

“I have seen huge changes in my time; you are constantly dealing with change. From dissolving morphine tablets in a spoon and over a small burner, and then drawing up into a syringe; to now, where we have webster packs, computers and a paper-less world,” she said.

“BaptistCare Warabrook Centre is a great place to work, the level of care is exceptional. I guess I can only hope that over the years, I have brought comfort and peace to my many patients; and also during that time have been able to pass on some of the knowledge that I have acquired to the younger nursing staff,” said Dawn.

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