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Whether taking a Hollywood heartthrob’s blood pressure or waving off an American country music star, Helena Waddell has seen it all as a nurse of nearly five decades.
Now the Mater Private Hospital Mackay veteran is finally ready to put her feet up after surviving 29 years of night shifts, the dawn of the world wide web and the transition from handwritten notes to robotic surgery.
“It’s a funny thing,” Mrs Waddell said.
“The brick of the original building was hand-laid by my very grandfather. I spent most of my life walking those very halls until the old building was demolished to make way for the new hospital in 2003.”
Mrs Waddell began her career in 1977 as a 17-year-old in a starched white uniform and a first-year striped cap. Her incredible 46-year journey is testament to the evolution of modern healthcare.
But she says it was her deep human connection to her patients and the Mackay community that will leave the greatest legacy.
"One of my patients had a cardiac arrest on me,” she said.
“It saved his life. I had him as a patient for 15 years after that and he would always thank me for that extra time."
The 67-year-old became known across the hospital as the “celebrity nurse” by her colleagues, lucky enough to be assigned to a famous Hollywood actor on one occasion, and a late music legend on another.
“We had the privilege of nursing a famous country music star for one shift,” Mrs Waddell said.
“She was leaving in a black limousine, and all the Mater staff were standing on the open verandah of the original building at the time, all waving her goodbye.”
In her early days at the old Mater, she conducted rounds with the beloved late Dr Alfred Davidson.
After transitioning to the hospital's modern theatre department decades later, she found herself working alongside his son, gastroenterologist Associate Professor Dr James Daveson.
"I said to him one day in theatre, 'Oh my gosh, you're related to Dr Daveson senior?'" Mrs Waddell said.
"I told him a couple of beautiful stories of his dad. It was emotional and beautiful.”
Mrs Waddell helped establish Mater Mackay’s first pre-op scope clinic and navigated the transition from handwritten paper charts to electronic medical records.
“I threatened to quit,” she joked.
“I was thrown in the deep end with the new systems, but it was the best thing ever.”
But Mrs Waddell’s career was brought full circle during her own retirement dinner in Mackay just last week.
"I was having dinner with my husband, my daughter and my granddaughter when a man called out to me,” she said.
“He put his two hands up in the air and he clapped. He said, 'Thank you for saving my life... it was your voice that was so reassuring when you nursed me.'”
While technology around her has transformed, Mrs Waddell’s philosophy remains unchanged from her very first shift to her last.
“My career has been my life’s purpose and one I wouldn’t ever change,” she said.
“Nursing is about leaving a good and lasting impression with every patient. You treat every one of them like a queen or a king. That's how we were taught.”
Mater Private Hospital Mackay General Manager Karen Wade said Mater was incredibly lucky to have had Mrs Waddell caring for the community for close to five decades.
“Forty-six years is remarkable, and we are deeply thankful for Helena’s dedication, compassion and unwavering commitment to her patients and their families,” Ms Wade said.
“Helena dedicated her life to improving the health of her patients and has played a crucial role in helping our community.”
