Career in nursing all Hill ever wanted to do

Chris Hill is well qualified to be clinical care manager of the dementia unit at Invercargill’s Clare House Retirement Village.

She has been a nurse all her working life.

Hill, 62, is in her 13th year at Clare House after working at Rowena Jackson Retirement Village, Calvary Hospital and Southland Hospital’s neonatal unit.

She had time away from nursing to raise a family.

‘‘From the age of 10, I always wanted to be a nurse ... that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,’’ Hill said.

Receiving a nurse’s uniform, with a stethoscope, for her 10th birthday further encouraged Hill.

Interestingly, when Hill was 12, she, her brother Gary and sister Glenda were in Oamaru Hospital at the same time getting their tonsils removed,

Hill was brought up in Oamaru and left Waitaki Girls’ High School at 16. She had six months as a nurse aide before reaching the required age of 16-and-a-half to enter nurse training at the Oamaru Hospital.

Most of the training was done in the wards.

‘‘You didn’t have a lot of time in the classroom, it was hands on.

‘‘We lived in the nurses’ home, had to sign in and sign out and had to be home by midnight at weekends,’’ Hill said.

Training included how to lift things correctly because the hospital had no machinery to move heavy objects.

Hill recalled in her early days of nursing that many patients spent most of their time in bed and bedpans were taken to them when required. Bed sores were common.

She saw change in the early 1980s when patients who could move around were out of their beds more often.

Nursing is a rewarding career, Hill said.

‘‘It’s different every day, you can work in different areas and you meet a lot of people.’’ The Tokanui Big Rock Cougars are holding their annual trail ride on March 25.

‘‘We’re a golden oldies rugby team,’’ trail organiser Phil Golden said.

The 30-strong group holds trail rides to raise funds for their trips to golden oldies tournaments in the southern hemisphere. They have been to tournaments in Argentina (2014), Sydney (2010) and Wellington (2006).

Christchurch holds a tournament next year.

The 100-kilometre trail ride is for two and four-wheel motorbikes. The course is on four farms in the Progress Valley and Curio Bay areas.

Entry fees are $50 (seniors) and $25 (juniors, 15-year-olds and under).

‘‘The main trails are pretty good, but there are steeper pieces and some beautiful views,’’ Golden said. Last year 350 riders took part. ‘‘It’s weather dependent. If it’s a good day, people drop what they’re doing and come over.’’