Farewell to Ann McKean after 37 years

During her time with RDHS Ann has seen many changes.  These include name changes to the Hospital – Robinvale District Hospital became Robinvale District Health Services, and the personnel, Nurses’ Aides became Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses Division 2. The pendulum continued to swing – we are currently back to Enrolled Nurses. Ann worked during the time of Matron’s and Sister’s.

The landscape was also very different – Ann was working in the old Hospital during the days of Theatre and Birthing.

A major skill Ann bought to the modern day nursing is her ability to “see” the patient or resident as a “person”, not a condition in a bed.

We thank Ann for sharing the essential care skills with the many staff she has worked with over the years. Ann taught many staff that the person should be treated with dignity and respect. She achieved this by making sure they were clean, hair brushed and teeth cleaned. Coming on shift after Ann is still a pleasant experience. The patient or resident looks comfortable, has been assisted with their dietary needs and is able to reach their call bell or drink. These are the things that matter – not just the technical points of care. These are the things that are remembered by the patient.

Ann has made an excellent contribution to the OH&S area for many years. A quiet achiever that just did what was needed without fanfare or fuss. No Lift grew into an actual being with Ann leading the way.   A great achievement considering Ann came from an era where “lifting” a patient was something we did without mechanical supports.

Ann was also the Union representative for many years – a thankless task at times. Ann bought an element of common sense to the working life of a nurse at Robinvale, a fair day’s work deserves a fair pay. Ann exemplifies the true nurse and would ensure she worked her whole shift regardless of being tired or feeling unwell at times.

Ann has also contributed to the paperwork side of aged care – a huge task as accreditation expectations became paramount – if it wasn’t written down, it wasn’t done.

We can all agree that Ann has been a great asset to our organisation with the patients and residents being the major beneficiaries.

Thank you sincerely Ann from the Board of Management and all staff from RDHS. We wish you a happy retirement and hope you get to read lots more books.