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This International Nurse’s Day, we’re celebrating the nurses who make a difference to our community every day. 

Elizabeth O’Connor has celebrated an extraordinary milestone, marking more than 50 years of service in nursing at Albury Wodonga Health.

Reflecting on her journey, Liz says she feels “privileged to have been able to continue my career for so many years”, adding that some surgeons joke she trained with Florence Nightingale.

Where it all began

Liz’s nursing journey began in 1964 at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital in Melbourne and was inspired by her mother. 

“My mother always wanted to be a nurse but didn’t have the opportunity so I decided that would be my chosen career,” she says.

From those early days of hospital-based training, Liz built her career in perioperative nursing, working across a range of roles in Melbourne before joining Albury Base Hospital in 1975.

“I remember it was a very friendly place. I was welcomed and quickly became part of the team,” she recalls.

Then and now

Over the decades, Liz has seen healthcare change in ways few could have imagined – from handwritten notes and on-call pagers to today’s advanced technology and highly specialised roles.

She remembers a time when nurses did just about everything in the operating theatre.

“Anaesthetic nurse, scrub scout, recovery nurse, theatre cleaner in between cases, plus wash and sterilise our own used instruments – we had to take on all roles,” she says.

Back then, close observation was everything.

“We only had monitors that tracked BP, pulse and respirations, so we had to be very observant of the patient’s condition. Now we have hi-tech monitoring of patients, with anaesthetic machines and recovery, and more.”

She has also seen major improvements in safety for both patients and staff.

“Occupational health and safety has improved dramatically over the years,” Liz says.

Practices that are now second nature, like safer sharps handling, instrument tracking and “time out” checks before procedures, have transformed patient safety and the way care is delivered.

The heart of it all

For Liz, some things haven’t changed at all.

“What has motivated me to continue nursing for so many years is the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives, supporting people during vulnerable moments,” she says.

Over the years, Liz has taken on a range of roles, including perioperative manager and clinical nurse specialist, embracing each new challenge along the way.

She speaks most fondly of the people.

“There have been so many happy memories, celebrating weddings and the births of babies, and, at times, sharing in sadness too. You build lifelong connections.”

For Liz, working at Albury Wodonga Health has always been about teamwork, respect and camaraderie, and the friendships formed along the way.

A small piece of advice

Her advice to those just starting out is simple: take your time, keep learning and look after yourself.

“Be patient with yourself and stay open to learning, as nursing can be challenging at first. Ask questions, seek support from experienced colleagues and continue to develop your skills. And it’s so important to take care of your own mental and physical wellbeing.”

Fifty years on, Liz’s impact is hard to measure, but it lives on in the patients she’s cared for, the colleagues she’s supported, and the generations of nurses who follow in her footsteps.

Thank you, Liz!