East Lancashire nurses celebrate 40 years' service (From Lancashire Telegraph)

East Lancashire nurses celebrate 40 years' service

2:37pm Friday 2nd November 2012 in News

TWO paediatric nurses at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are celebrating 40 years of service this month.

Gillian Baird, who lives in Burnley, and Elaine Abbott from Blackburn, both began working for the trust as cadet nurses in 1972.

Gillian has worked in several different areas including care of the elderly before training as a midwife in Burnley in 1981.

She fitted in having two children, Andrew, now 30 and Jay, now aged 26, and in 2008, she moved to the children’s unit at the Royal Blackburn Hospital where she was promoted to the role of Sister.

Elaine began working on the gynaecology and maternity wards at the former Queen’s Park Hospital site before moving to paediatrics in 1989 where she has been ever since.

Both Elaine’s daughters, Kelly, 34, and Rebecca, 30, have followed in her footsteps and work as nurses for the trust.

Elaine’s sister, Wendy, is also a nursing sister for the trust and has just completed her 30 years’ service.

Gillian and Elaine both said: “We have seen a lot of changes over the past 40 years but we love our jobs and the challenges the role gives us.

“We really enjoy working with the children and their families on the unit and are thrilled to celebrate our 40 years service together.”

Staff in the children’s unit treated Gillian and Elaine to a buffet lunch shared with their colleagues and family and a bouquet of flowers presented by the trust’s chief nurse, Lynn Wissett.