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50 Years and Still Inspiring Us

At sixteen years old Audrey De Armond was all set to bust out of her hometown of Canterbury and head off to the much more lively city of London, England. Content with the idea of being a secretary, she saw few obstacles that could get in her way. Fortunately for us, Audrey never saw her mom coming.

Much like many of our own mothers, Audrey's had bigger plans for her future. There was no way her daughter was going spend her days fetching coffee and typing memos. Her daughter was going to make a contribution to society. Whether she liked it our not - she was off to become a nurse.

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Long hours, short breaks... little has changed
Nursing school in Britain was a bit different back then. In fact, it wasn't a school at all. What is now taught in colleges and universities around the world was taught bedside in the hospitals of England. Audrey explains how she reported at six in the morning and often stayed on until eight in evening with little more than a two-hour break. She eagerly did this five days a week.

I guess you could say Audrey was well prepared for the road ahead. Like more and more foreign nurses today, Audrey found her way over to the U.S. not too long after completing her studies. This time, her mom didn't have a say in the matter.

Where else would you start but at the home of the Miss USA pageant
Audrey De Armond landed in the heart of Atlantic City, NJ. Of course, this wasn't quite the Atlantic City we know today... there was no Trump Taj Mahal... there were no casinos at all, as a matter of fact. But even back then, it was here on the boardwalk that we would crown our Miss USA.

It was 1957 and the first hospital in the United States that was fortunate enough to have Audrey on staff was Atlantic City General. She graced their presence for just a few short years before meeting her husband and moving on to the Sunshine State.

Next stop, nursing in paradise
Audrey found herself next at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Here at this facility, Audrey did her OB Gyn and psych training, which is necessary for individuals practicing nursing in the U.S. At the time, Florida was one of the first states to mandate state licensing, but Audrey, coming from the U.K., received reciprocity.

It wouldn't be long and Audrey would be off again, having married a military man she found herself moving around quite a bit. But eventually, she would settle down back in the sun and palm trees of Florida. This time it was at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center in Fort Myers. And when Audrey finally did decide to stay put she meant it. She spent the next quarter of a century at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center, starting out first in ICU and then moving to the recovery room.

It's not over until it's over
For 20 years, Audrey was the first person many patients' at Southwest would see when they woke up. Her calm and pleasant voice would let them know that everything was okay and she made sure they were comfortable. It was her reassuring manner that made people believe the worst was over. There is little doubt that Audrey loved her job, but all good things must come to an end and after 25 years of service Audrey retired from Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center.

But surprisingly, retirement turned out to be short lived. After fighting two bouts of Melanoma, Audrey decided she was healthy and happier at work. So back to the world of nursing she went... only this time she took a new path. With her six children grown and out of the house, Audrey decided to give travel nursing a try.

At 69 years young she was starting fresh... or was she?
Instead of pondering over what might be different as a traveler, Audrey jumped right in and concentrated on what was the same. For her the switch from staff to travel nurse was rather effortless. As she explains "The pace is more demanding, the paper work changes from facility to facility, but caring for patients is the same no matter where you go."

"You're on assignment at their hospital. You have to do things their way and be willing to accept the fact that you're not going to change anything," says Audrey. "As long as you're friendly and work hard you should have no problems." Audrey believes that if you give it 100%, your colleagues will respect you regardless of the fact that you are a traveler. True words of wisdom spoken by a seasoned professional.

In a time when the nursing profession is losing members much faster than it's gaining, you can't help but see Audrey's story as a glimmer of hope. If only a few follow in her footsteps the entire industry would feel the results. As for ending her nursing career, again... thankfully, Audrey didn't have any immediate plans.