Jill retires after remarkable 70 year nursing career

Willaura Health Care nurse Jill Broderick has retired after a remarkable 70 years of nursing.

In all probability, Jill’s distinguished career is the longest nursing career in Australia, with the final 30 years spent at Willaura Health Care, a campus of East Grampians Health Service.

With a twin brother, Jill (christened Valma) was born in Corowa, New South Wales, with nursing in her blood, as her mother was also a nurse, and her father a wood cutter and railway man.

Some years later the family moved into dairy farming and eventually relocated to Chiltern near Beechworth. It was hard work, with Jill and her brother milking 38 cows by hand, rising at 4.30am every morning, before riding their bikes to school.

When she was 14 she attended the Wangaratta Technical School where she studied dressmaking (as well as still working on the family farm), with her sewing skills proving valuable throughout her life as she also held part time jobs sewing alongside her nursing career.

Jill left the family farm and lied about her age so she could begin work at the Wodonga Hospital where she worked in the kitchen, waitressed and worked one day per week in x ray, which was a catalyst for her future nursing career.

Commencing her career at the Austin Hospital in February 1956, Jill began her nursing training and graduated in May 1957 with a Certificate of Nursing Aid Toorak Nursing Aid School/Austin Hospital.  As was tradition, Jill spent three months in each ward when working at the Austin Hospital.

Jill married young shearer Brian Broderick in 1959, with her husband very supportive of her nursing career. The couple built a house in Reservoir and lived there for 35 years. Jill and Brian have two children a son Paul and a daughter Lucinda.

After settling into the Austin Hospital, Jill loved her time there and spent nine years in the Spinal Unit, where at times she was second in charge, specialising in dressings on the head tractions.

Jill worked closely with a top British spinal specialist and neurologist, Dr Ludwig Guttman, who specialised in the treatment and rehabilitation of paraplegia and other spinal disabilities/injuries. Dr Guttman escaped to England after fleeing Nazi Germany prior to the holocaust. He was instrumental in later years setting up the Paralympic games.

Due to this specialised training, Jill oversaw the ‘turning team’ which consisted of a team of nurses/orderlies, requiring careful and precise techniques to prevent further injuries, to maintain spinal alignment and complications related to pressure injuries. Jill was responsible for training orderlies to do this precise and important role, and it was also her job to support the head to minimise movement that could have a catastrophic effect on the patient.

Also during her time at the Austin Hospital, Jill met and underwent training with esteemed English doctor, Dr Cheshire, who specialised in bowel and bladder disorders and Jill became adept at identifying and managing a variety of bladder and urinary disorders.

Jill also had the opportunity to work closely with Dr Geoffrey Edelsten for three months at his super clinic in Kingsbury, and she described him as a very intelligent man.

After nine years, due to family reasons, Jill resigned from the Spinal Unit and supported the family income with her sewing, but still provided nursing services around the Reservoir area, with care for fractures, dressing and attending to her patients’ hygiene needs.

In 1974 Jill started working at the Reservoir Private Hospital, and over the next 16 years worked in a variety of wards including medical, surgical and midwifery wards, as well as the Central Sterilising Department. For nine years, she also worked one day a week at the Radford Nursing Home at the same time as working at RPH.

The family fell in love with the Lake Bolac area when they called in there while driving through the area when their children were competing in sport, and after Brian was made redundant from Monash Plant Hire, the family moved to Lake Bolac in 1995.

Friend Mary Ann Otto mentioned there was a nursing position at the Willaura Hospital, so Jill contacted the hospital and was offered a position in the hostel, and continued her nursing career in Willaura for 30 years.

Jill is also a hardworking and well respected member of the Lake Bolac community, having long term involvement in many clubs and organisations there.

Manager of Willaura Health Care Liz Atkinson said that Jill was a valued employee at Willaura, who loved her job and is much respected.

“She provided outstanding patient care, monitored vital signs, assisted with personal care and performed basic wound care. More importantly Jill promoted and encouraged patient/resident independence,” she said.

“Jill has been the heart and soul of Willaura Health Care – always willing to make herself available for shifts often at short notice.

“She once said that when she retires and walks out the door she will be forgotten – this could not be further from the truth,  Jill will never be forgotten and has left a long and lasting legacy at Willaura Health Care.”

Staff joined together at a special afternoon tea to farewell Jill at Willaura Health Care.