Retiring at 96: Meet the World's Oldest Nurse
Florence "Sisi" Rigney worked as an OR nurse for over 7 decades. This month, she retired at 96. "Even in her 90s, we had to run to keep up with her," her colleagues said.
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In the small picture: Florence Sisi Rigney #VALUE!
For more than seven decades, Florence "Sisi" Rigney, a hospital nurse in Washington, has cared for patients and assisted doctors. Last week, at the age of 96, she officially retired.
Rigney worked as an operating room nurse at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, responsible for setting up operating rooms according to the surgeons' requirements and preparing patients before surgery. "Even when she worked into her 90s, Sisi never slowed down," said Lauren Driscoll, manager at Tacoma General Hospital. "Some colleagues joked that they had to run to keep up with her."
Her nursing career began when doctors were just starting to work with penicillin. She graduated from the Tacoma Hospital's nursing school in Washington and worked all across the United States before returning to the hospital from which she recently retired for good.
"She continued to be a devoted nurse and an incredible resource to her colleagues and community," said Driscoll. "It's amazing to stop and think about the thousands of people she cared for over the years."
This isn't the first time Rigney signed her retirement papers. At 65, she retired for six months, but her passion and desire to help others brought her back to work part-time. "I don't like to sit idly by. I always have to be doing something, it's in my nature," Rigney said. "I'm not entirely sure what initially drove me to be a nurse, but it was something I always wanted to do. I love interacting with patients and giving them the help I can."
Rigney officially retired about 10 days ago, but her legacy will continue to inspire others. The hospital announced it has established a scholarship fund in Rigney's name to help nurses seeking to deepen their professional knowledge, and hospital employees interested in pursuing nursing careers. "We thank Sisi for her dedication and are proud to honor her by supporting the nurses of tomorrow," said Driscoll.
Rigney, a mother of two, said she is looking forward to spending more time with her family and friends in the near future.
