Rosalyn Ferguson was born at Hornsby Hospital, had her three children there and has spent the past four decades as a nurse caring for the local community.
But now the hospital’s longest serving nurse is set to walk out the doors for the last time - retiring after 44 years.
As an eight-year-old, Ros decided she wanted to be a nurse after visiting Hornsby’s emergency department and being in awe of the sisters who took care of her.
By the time she was 17, she was living in the nurses’ quarters on the grounds of the hospital and learning on the job.
She developed a passion for working in critical care and has spent most of her career nursing in emergency or intensive care. Ros has been the nurse unit manager at the hospital’s emergency department since 2004.
“I love critical care and looking after patients when they are their most vulnerable,” Ros said.
“It’s quite a privilege to be there for people and the community in the acute setting. The best thing about nursing is the friendships, and that every day you can make a difference.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed her plans of retirement, Ros said she was proud to be able to care for patients and share her knowledge with other nurses through one of the most challenging events the health system has faced.
