A Bridlington lady has reached a milestone in her nursing career.
Antoinette Whitrick wanted to be a nurse for as long as she could remember.
Having been a Red Cross Cadet for most of her school years, she would work on a voluntary basis in the local hospitals, nursing homes and The Red Cross Holiday Home (now Belgrave Court Residential Home)…all this experience confirmed her nursing ambition.
Antoinette’s career began in 1978 at the Bempton Lane Hospital working as an Auxiliary Nurse. Around 7 months later she moved to The Hull District School of Nursing and completed her two year Pupil Nurse training – qualifying as a State Enrolled Nurse (SEN) in 1981 before returning to her home town of Bridlington.
She then worked as an SEN at the Avenue Hospital on Westgate in Bridlingt until November 1985 when she moved to a post in the community, based at the old Wellington Road surgery.
Antoinette explained:“The main part of my nursing years were in the community working in different towns and villages throughout the whole of East Yorkshire – for just under 38 years of my career. I then worked as a Specialist Physical Disabilities Nurse throughout the area. My final post in the NHS was that of a District Nurse Sister based between Practice 2/3 at The Medical Centre in Bridlington.”
During her years as a Specialist Physical Disabilities Nurse she managed to secure funding for a young paraplegic patient to have ‘her wish come true, and take a holiday in America. Antoinette describes this as one of her most memorable moments.
Antoinette has seen many changes during her 45 years of nursing, especially with people generally living longer and having more long term conditions to manage such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure.
She explains: “There is a lot more technology within the medical profession now such as the use of electronic records and equipment – medication pumps, monitors and electronic lifting aids. Advances in Orthopaedic surgery mean that individuals have a much better quality of life after having hip, knee, shoulder and ankle replacements.”
In December 2014 Antoinette retired from the NHS and has since ‘Agency Nursed’ working night shifts at Scarborough Hospital on a variety of wards.
This month (May 2023) Antoinette will have completed 45 years of unbroken service within the nursing profession.
When asked what advice she would give to those thinking of going into the nursing profession Antoinette said: “Go into nursing with an open mind – embrace the changes but don’t loose sight of caring for the patients. Seek help when things pray on your mind or become too much for you to deal with – we all have colleagues we can talk to – look after yourself as well as looking after others.”
