90-Year-Old Nurse Still Works At OR Of Tacoma General Hospital In Washington

At her age, Florence Rigney’s contemporaries are either dead or residents of a geriatric facility. However, the 90-year-old is on record as the oldest working registered nurse in the US assigned at the operating room of the Tacoma General Hospital in Washington.

A day before her birthday, which was just a few days away from International Nurses Day that honors her namesake and nursing profession founder Florence Nightingale, fellow medical workers surprised the nonagenarian with flowers and presents, reports The Mirror. She has worked as an operating room nurse for over 60 years.

Rigney actually retired at 67 but went back to work after five months. At her age, Rigney “runs circles” around nurses half her age or even young enough to be her great grandchildren, said Sheri Morris, the hospital’s assistant nurse manager, reports Today.

The idea of a celebration came from Morris and Paula Swanson, the nurse director. The two set May 7 as the bash to give Rigney a chance to take the day off on May 8.

However, she has slowed down and works only two days a week, tasked with setting up the OR and ensuring everything is in order. In her six decades of selfless dedication, Rigney has helped take care of hundreds of patients and witnessed technological advances, particularly in the OR.

In an inspirational speech, a co-worker has said that Rigney “has built a tremendous legacy of service over the years and her continued engagement in nursing is a testament to her unceasing energy and compassion for those in need.” Rigney was a student nurse at Tacoma General School of Nursing in 1946.

While she worked as nurse in different hospitals across the US over the years to allow her time to spend with her husband and children, Rigney always returned to Tacoma, said Morris.

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