Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Time for a break after 43 years on nursing frontline
Growing up Sue Clark wanted to be an air hostess, but the thousands of patients who have benefited from her care and compassion will be grateful she chose nursing instead.
Now, after more than 40 years on the frontline of the health service, including the last 15 at the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, she has earned a well-deserved retirement.
Sue was just 16 when she became a nursing cadet, later training in orthopaedic and general nursing at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children, where she qualified in 1978.
Sue, a 65-year-old grandmother, moved to east Kent with her best friend from nursing school, and got a job at Herne Hospital.
She also worked at Nunnery Fields Hospital in Canterbury, and further afield in south-east London before moving to Kent and Canterbury Hospital in the 1990s.
In between, she did some community nursing work with Marie Curie, supporting patients with terminal illnesses.
It was her first experience of working in palliative care, and in 2006 she joined the Pilgrims Hospice as a registered general nurse. I
In 2019, she gave up her registration and spent her last two years of service working as a healthcare assistant (HCA).
“I initially wanted to be an air stewardess,” said Sue, who lives in the St Stephen’s area of the city.
“But I really loved caring for people and became interested in children’s nursing. It’s ironic that I started out working with children and ended up at the other side of life.
“At Pilgrims, we care for the patient and the whole family. It’s not like in hospital - we can get involved, we have the time to get to know families. We’re also able to provide aftercare for loved ones, too.
“I love being hands on with basic nursing care, and the HCA role enabled me to do even more of this so I really enjoyed it.”
Sue has been praised for her dedication by head of nursing at Pilgrims, Kate White.
“To dedicate 50 years to nursing is a huge achievement and shows strength of character, “she said.
“I cannot imagine how many patients and their families have been cared for by Sue in all this time.
“We wish her all the very best for a well-deserved retirement and thank her for her commitment to Pilgrims.”
Now that she has retired, Sue is looking forward to spending time with family and planning a few mini-breaks.
She added: “Working at Pilgrims, you realise that life is so short. I just want to enjoy retirement with my husband and make the most of every moment.”