'Passionate' nurse retires after 46 years with NHS

An intensive care nurse has been praised for her dedication and passion for the job after deciding to retire from the NHS after 46 years.

Sister Karen Allen, known to colleagues as Macca, first started with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in April 1979 and worked in a variety of roles before settling in their Intensive Critical Care Unit.

She earned a reputation for her "unwavering dedication and genuine passion for patient care", a spokesperson for the trust said.

Reflecting on nearly half a century of service, Allen said: "The best thing about being a nurse is being there for your patients – it's all I have ever wanted to do. I don't see it as a job, it's a vocation.

"I have loved every moment of being a nurse and I want future nurses to love their jobs as much as I did.

"It's so important that you never see nursing as a job, it's so much more than that. Every patient matters and knowing that you make a difference is a feeling I will never forget."

To mark her retirement, staff at the trust had a get-together to celebrate her and share stories.

Allen now plans to spend more time with her family in her retirement - with some much-deserved time at home, the trust spokesperson added.

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