Stasia hangs up her nurse’s uniform
STAFF NURSE Stasia Staples from Wexford town has put the uniform away following her retirement from Wexford General Hospital after 32 years’ service.
Stasia’s family threw her a retirement party in the Wexford Boat and Tennis Club where she was met with a few surprises at her champagne reception and barbecue.
Her daughter Sarah flew the whole way home from San Diego with her husband Phil and Stasia’s son Robert and his son Alex also surprised her when he arrived home from Barcelona for his mothers big party.
‘Sadly my other son Frank could not make it as he is touring Thailand,’ said Stasia.
Stasia received lots of different presents, bottles of wine and champagne, a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a large lump sum of money for her to go on a holiday.
In 1971 Stasia began her training as a nurse in St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire where she worked for three years before going to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown for a further nine months.
Stasia said: ‘After that I went to the Rotunda where I worked as a midwife, followed by two years in St Coleman’s Hospital, Rathdrum where I became a psychiatric nurse.’
After years of training and hard work in Dublin, Stasia decided to move a bit closer to home where she worked as a general practise nurse at a GP practise in Arklow for a year.
Meanwhile in 1983, Stasia and her husband Jim moved back to Wexford and she decided to take a break from work after giving birth to their first child.
She said: ‘I went back to work in 1985 as a temporary nurse covering maternity leave in Wexford General Hospital. I was then made permanent following an interview in 1987 and have been working on St Aidan’s ward ever since.’
Stasia said she is now a nurse on call and really enjoys it as she has a lot more free time.