Kind, happy and loyal – nursery nurse retires after 34 years

Past and present staff of the Rosie Hospital have bidden a fond farewell to Joy Thompson, who has retired after 34 years as a nursery nurse in NICU. At a surprise party on 11 September, her colleagues paid tribute to her loyalty, hard work and cheerful nature.

 

Joy’s colleague of many years Janette Clark said, “We’ve worked together for 28 years now, and we’ve had quite a few laughs – and tears as well.”

Neonatal consultant Edile Murdoch said: “On behalf of all the doctors, thanks for being you. We should all try to be like you: always happy, always kind. The department has really benefited from all your experience and we’ll really miss you.”

 

Wilf Kelsall, another Neonatal consultant provided these comments: “What a workhorse – she’s seen a lot of changes, worked with different equipment and, by my reckoning, cared for 17,000 babies and helped raise £300,000 for Premrose, the parent support group. But all the time she’s always been cheery, never complained, and always worked hard. Your loyalty, dedication and commitment have been an inspiration to us all. It’s just shows that our neonatal service can’t be too bad when someone like you has stayed for 34 years.”

 

Joy qualified in 1960 under a scheme run by the then-London county council, which included a stint in a children’s home. She initially worked as a nanny in Norfolk, before getting a job at the Mill Road maternity hospital. When this closed down in 1983, she moved to the Rosie.

 

“Initially I wanted to be an infant teacher,” says Joy, “but in those days you had to have lots of O-levels! The careers adviser at school suggested I go into nursing and I’ve just loved it: it was what I trained for all those millions of years ago. It’s been my life.

 

“My husband Barry says we can never go anywhere without someone saying, ‘Do you remember me? You looked after my baby…’ ”

 

Joy’s daughter, Rachel, is also a nursery nurse at the Rosie. And Joy won’t be turning her back on babies altogether – she will continue to work as a bank nurse at the hospital.