https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/01/06/cohort-de-1974
Gathering was an opportunity to express pride and love toward other nurses, with a reminder that they are not alone
By Leslie Pitchford
January 6, 2025
Courtesy of Leslie Pitchford
Leslie Pitchford’s recent reunion had name tags, graduating pictures, and nursing caps for the graduates. She says the reunion was a wonderful example of respect for the amazing work nurses have done over the years and continue to do.
I recently attended my 50th nursing reunion in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is remarkable to me how quickly 50 years have gone by in my life.
Courtesy of Leslie Pitchford
“I wanted to share my personal experience of pride and love toward other nurses and remind them that they are not alone,” retired nurse Leslie Pitchford says.
The reunion was a wonderful example of respect for the amazing work nurses have done over the years and continue to do. How beautiful it was to see nurses honouring other nurses.
I believe more positive stories need to be heard of a profession dedicated to patient care and supporting one another to survive turbulent times. This is what we signed up for as a professional choice, and each reunion is an opportunity to come together once again to celebrate the next class that will mark 50 years.
I hope my experience at the reunion will serve as a positive story we all need to hear.
The night of the reunion
It felt surreal to be recognized by my nursing peers in the present day, and emotions were evoked by knowing that there is an uncertainty about attending future reunions as I grow older. I retired five years ago and have seen many changes and challenges in the health-care system, from worsening nursing shortages, which weren’t new, to intense working conditions due to COVID (unprecedented in my time).
This was my second reunion as I attended one 25 years ago while I was still actively practising. I recall how our conversations at that time centred on our careers. I initially hadn’t planned on nursing as my profession, taking social work at university. However, I decided to switch to nursing when a spot opened up at the school. I realized that this way I could finance my education at the university later and perhaps the nursing degree program.
I felt a sense of finality as a professional as this door in my life had permanently closed. I remember how hard it was to relinquish my nursing licence a year after I had retired. I knew there was no turning back once this was done as I couldn’t imagine completing a refresher course if I chose to return. I felt nostalgic, almost as if life was going by too fast and I had better hold on to each moment and memory we were forming tonight, with appreciation of and gratitude toward being there.
Joy and excitement
Walking into the hall where our festivities would begin, I felt joy and excitement. I was among my peers, the sisterhood and the brotherhood as more men had chosen the nursing profession. Nursing binds us together, whether we knew each other as colleagues or were meeting at this reunion. Some of us hadn’t been together since graduation.
I saw a few of my classmates wear the traditional nursing graduation uniform and the pin we had worked so hard for. Others wore the blue and white student uniform and cap, which created a flashback into the past, representing the shadows of our youth and the beginnings of a professional life. I remembered carefully tucking my long hair neatly under the cap, having the length of our student uniform measured by kneeling to ensure that it was at that point where it almost touched the floor and wearing white stockings and shoes.
I recall the first time I walked on a medical floor two weeks into the program, unsure of myself, scared yet curious, with the heart and willingness to help others, which had always been my nature. My idealism was met with the reality of life and death, successes and failures.
A night to reflect
At the reunion, I experienced an ease as we welcomed each other and embraced as if it were yesterday. There was no discomfort or awkwardness. Tonight was the night to allow myself to reflect on my past. We shared stories and memories from those years of training together and talked about retirement. We were a diverse group. We described the practice areas we had chosen, and many remained within them. My specialty was mental health, so I was a minority in my class, whereas others chose the medical stream. I maintained this area of practice for half of my career. It was my main focus before I diversified into community nursing and eventually quality and patient safety, which spanned a total of 45 years, during which I had had many experiences, met many professionals and had both challenges and highlights, setbacks and progress as I grew and learned.
The moment the evening’s program began, bagpipe music resonated in the hall. Our class was told to line up behind the pipers in readiness to be led back into the main hall, where we would circle the entire room, walking in unity, honour and respect, in recognition of our long service. Graduates ranged over 50 years. Not only was this our 50th reunion, but we were also the final class to graduate from the General Hospital Nursing School in Winnipeg before it merged into the Health Sciences Centre.
The bagpipers began the walk, and we were greeted with a standing ovation and smiles from our peers. I never felt so proud as at that moment. All of these nurses from different graduating classes showed us respect and acknowledged our achievement, which was emotionally overwhelming. I was unexpectedly moved by this experience. I could feel the genuine recognition unconditionally. They did not know us personally or maybe professionally, but all were from the same nursing school, our common denominator. It was our foundation as we began our practice in various areas. I didn’t realize how powerful this connection was until that moment.
The class of 1974
Our class — the class of 1974 — was given name tags with our graduating picture. In some cases, that was how we recognized one another. Also, miniature paper nursing caps had been made for us to wear for the evening. No one was self-conscious about doing this and being seen by the guests in the hotel as we walked in and out of the main hall.
There were speakers from the Health Sciences Centre corporate office, nursing department, foundation and archives. An introduction to the honorary life member and honorary presidents ended with a toast to the alumni. A roll call allowed for each graduate year representative to stand and make a speech consisting of stories, residence life, the teaching and learning experience, an echo from the past and perhaps a funny or nostalgic story. When it came to our turn, in unison our class stood and sang about who we are as nurses.
The evening continued to be magical as we caught up with one another, sharing stories that had all started when we entered nursing school. Many had retired and others had passed away, but the ones who were here would carry our legacy and memories, perhaps to attend another reunion in five years. That’s what we declared tonight: “Until we meet again.”
The luxury of time
Time has allowed me the luxury to reflect on my nursing practice, a flash review of 45 years of my career, to celebrate for a single evening. I thought of the peers honouring us at the reunion, many still working, others retired, and their different experiences as the health-care system has changed dramatically over the years, including experiencing the COVID pandemic, nursing shortages and disillusionment and sometimes leaving prematurely a profession they loved.
With this article, I wanted to share my personal experience of pride and love toward other nurses and remind them that they are not alone because we, the alumni, stand behind them and respect them in return for a job well done.
Leslie Pitchford graduated in 1974 and worked in various nursing positions — including clinical settings, management, quality improvement, and patient safety — in Manitoba for 45 years before retiring in 2019.
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