Woodbridge residents honour nurses at St Elizabeth Hospice
Retired nurse Judith Heard joined fellow residents at Woodbridge Lodge care home in making thank you cards for the nursing team at St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich.
Home manager Jill Harris said: “All our residents wanted to do something to show their support for nurses who devote their lives to serving the community.”
Judith, now 85, first worked as a nursery nurse but, once her children were in school, trained as an SEN (State Enrolled Nurse).
Working at St John’s Hospital in Chelmsford, she was the oldest SEN trainee in her class, but she qualified as an SEN and won the award for best student in her class.
Later, after learning to drive, she became a district nurse; during these years she did extra part-time work as a Marie Curie care and support nurse, helping families with their loved ones suffering from cancer.
It was while Judith was working as a district nurse she was put forward by her colleagues to be awarded the title of Queen's Nurse (QN) which is available to individual nurses who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice in the community.
