Retired nurse honoured for 59-year career
The Retired Nurses Group Pietermaritzburg honoured registered nurse and nurse educator Cathy Pillay (81), who retired in November after an illustrious 59-year career in nurse education in Pietermaritzburg.
Pillay has educated the very first batch of nurses at Northdale Hospital, and thereafter went on to open her own nursing college, training over 3000 nurses.
Her nursing journey started in 1962 when she began her training at Edendale Nursing College.
After successfully completing three diplomas, she realised teaching nurses appealed to her. A promotion to clinical instructor, which she worked in with great zeal, paved the way for her desired career in nurse education.
Pillay went on to train the first batch of nurses employed at Northdale Hospital. When Northdale Hospital opened in 1974, she moved from Grey’s Hospital to Northdale with her first group of student nurses, who all subsequently qualified as staff nurses at the hospital.
She then went on to study a Diploma in Nursing Education at the then University of Natal and graduated as registered nurse educator and was then appointed as a tutor.
Her passion for nursing education did not stop there, and she went on to pursue a BA CUR through Unisa, majoring in nursing education and administration.
Pillay was then promoted to a higher post at the new Grey’s Nursing College at the Natal College of Nursing from where she retired in 1995 due to health reasons.
This, however, was not the end of her nursing journey. On recovery she joined a private nursing college in Pietermaritzburg as a tutor. During this time she realised the increased demand for nurse training in the community, which inspired her to start her own nursing school, Shekinah Nursing College.
With the assistance of a few close colleagues, this was accomplished through hard work, dedication and self-determination. In 2003, Shekinah Nursing College achieved accreditation by the South African Nursing Council.
To date, approximately 3000 nurses in various categories have been trained and qualified through Pillay’s college which uplifted many disadvantaged families in the community.
Sadly due to changes in the nursing education landscape all the legacy nursing programmes have been phased out to make way for the new nursing qualifications. Pillay realised that age and health was against her and made a decision to end that chapter of her life and retire at the age of 81.
Pillay made many other remarkable contributions to the community, serving on many organisations in strategic positions where she was acknowledged for her contributions. One example is the prestigious Paul Harris award from the Rotary Pietermaritzburg in 2019.
“Pillay, we the nurses of Pietermaritzburg salute you and wish you all of the very best,” said retired nurse Shanti Ramkilowan, on behalf of the Retired Nurse Group Pietermaritzburg.
Reflecting on her legendary career, Pillay named compassion, dedication and integrity as the cornerstone of nursing.
“The rewards of being a nurse is self satisfaction and self fulfilment and a sense of belonging to a noble profession,” she shared.
She advised anyone who is interested in going into the nursing profession to “really understand the nature of the profession, and do some research first.”