Nursing has been a life's work for Jacquie Marlow.
From starting as a student nurse at Royal Preston Hospital in 1987, before qualifying three years later, Jacquie's devotion to the job has taken in 36 years of caring for the community, and she is now set for a well-earned retirement.
One of two Nursing Staff Co-ordinators for Medicine, she was handed a surprise celebration on Thursday, and she admits it was a special day: "It's been a happy day, yes, retiring after 36 years. I've given my all - I've worked here, constantly given everything to Preston hospital, and I'll miss the people.
"I've got a lot of lifelong friends. Without good colleagues and proper teamwork, you couldn't do the job. And yeah, it has been challenging at times, with staffing. People say we're short now, but there's always been shortages in nursing. There's always been pressures. But people just work together, get on with it and give the best for the patients, and that's ultimately what we're there for."
Having qualified, Jacquie has had a varied career, as she explains: "I got a job on Female Elderly on Ward 23 in 1990, and then qualified as a Specialist Stroke Nurse, before getting my first Ward manager post.
"After stroke, I was Ward manager for Gastro, initially on Ward 19, then Ward 20 and finally on Ward 24 until March 2021, when I ended up co-ordinating the nursing staffing for medicine. I've seen a lot of developments and changes, over the years. But it's never been quiet!"
Jacquie was always destined to go into nursing: "It's just what I wanted to do. I was a little girl and I was always going to be a nurse. And I did it. Like a little lad wants to be a fireman, be a train driver, you want to be a nurse. There wasn't anything else, and I stuck to it!"
Despite not wanting any fanfare, her colleagues were always going to mark such a remarkable career: "It was a surprise because I've always said I didn't want a fuss and I was going to go quietly. So that's a lovely surprise. I'm not one for making a fuss. I normally just get on quietly, even from my school reports, it was always 'does well, quietly confident'. I think that's still me these days."
