Whanganui Hospital’s record nursing intake reunites 50 years on

Jocelyn Czerwonka (front left) helped organise a reunion for the 1975 class of nurses at Whanganui Hospital, the largest-ever intake with 38.

Nurses from the biggest intake at Whanganui Hospital say their bond is as strong as ever, 50 years after they began their careers.

Out of the record 38 students who began nurse training positions at Whanganui Hospital in 1975, 17 gathered in the city earlier this month for a reunion.

Many have kept in touch despite career changes and moving away.

One of the organisers and former students, Jocelyn Czerwonka, said the reunion was “a really happy occasion”.

“Everyone commented on how amazing it was and the friendships that endured,” Czerwonka said.

“I think we were all pleasantly surprised at how much we loved getting together because we had gone in so many different directions.

“It was such a joy to come together and pick up friendships from where we left them.”

Thirty-eight student nurses were placed at Whanganui Hospital in 1975.

Shannell Eparaima, who had a long career in the Whanganui health sector, said “it was amazing that we are still the same”.

“I think we have grown now that we know who we are in the world and we have gained a lot more confidence in many things, but all that was put aside and we were 17-year-olds getting back together again.”

Eparaima and Czerwonka have kept a strong connection since 1975 despite moving at various times and Czerwonka leaving the healthcare sector.

Czerwonka and her husband Alex are godparents to one of Eparaima’s sons and also cared for Eparaima’s grandson when he was in Rotorua Hospital.

One of the group, Carol Stewart, went on to become head of nursing at Whanganui polytech.

Czerwonka said the group had a strong bond forged from the challenge they faced in training as nurses at the age of 16 and 17 straight from school.

“We were hospital-trained nurses and kind of like the workforce straight out of school,” she said.

“We were plunged into things that we were too young and inexperienced to be in, so there were lots of talks about that.”

Eparaima agreed.

“There were many times we were back in the nurses' home crying on each other’s shoulders or the older nurses' because we’d just seen somebody pass away,” she said.

“We became close with our patients and had a lot of heartbreak but we had a lot of growth.”

In 1975 nursing was not yet available at polytech so on-the-job learning was required.

Members of the 1975 class of nurses at Whanganui Hospital, including Shannell Eparaima (fifth from left) and Jocelyn Czerwonka (second from right).

That involved months of tutorials followed by the integration into the hospital wards.

Czerwonka said they were expected to be able to maintain and take charge of entire wards by the end of the first year.

Czerwonka spent time as a Plunket nurse in Stokes Valley and later Whanganui, and then became a practice nurse in Whakatāne and Dannevirke before being approached to work as the youth ministry facilitator for the Diocese of Waiapu.

Eparaima, despite short stints in Australia, remained mostly in the Whanganui region, working in the operational theatre, surgical, radiology, midwifery for 20 years and primary health, and is currently a fracture liaison nurse.

She is still involved and working for the Whanganui Regional Health Network and regularly visits patients under care at Whanganui Hospital’s surgical ward.

“I love caring for people, midwifery is my passion and it was such an honour and privilege to help women birth their babies – nursing is my heart and my love,” Eparaima said.

“I have been fortunate to work in so many aspects of nursing, all have been an honour.

“I get to help people get better or support them, be with them and hold their hand as they pass away – both bringing somebody into this world and holding somebody’s hand when they are dying is a privilege beyond compare.”