Corowa hospital's clinical nurse educator Jenny Lawrence to retire

Before dinner arrived at the table at D'Amico's restaurant in Corowa, she had answered the call and was off to the hospital.

It is one of countless memories after decades wearing many hats at the Corowa hospital, most recently as a clinical nurse educator.

Mrs Lawrence will retire on April 30 after serving 37 years.

The hospital will give her a big send-off at The Pickled Sisters Cafe in Rutherglen, surrounded by those she considered to be her comrades.

Mrs Lawrence applied for work at Corowa hospital after she became engaged to local, Geoff Lawrence, in 1985.

"There happened to be a midwife who was leaving the next week, and so I just slotted into that role," she said.

"I am quite often reminded by mothers that the six-foot-five, big burly man standing next to them was in fact 'one of your babies'," she said.

The maternity ward eventually closed in 2003.

Since then, Mrs Lawrence had worked in every ward, in aged care, theatre, acute care, and the emergency department.

It was while working in the emergency ward that she discovered her passion.

"It's just really dynamic, and it's unpredictable," she said.

"The diversity ... of this field made it clear to me that I needed to undertake further study ... to increase my knowledge and make me feel comfortable dealing with emergency presentations."

Mrs Lawrence said she "fell into" an educator role in 2008 by default, after a manager approached her.

She became responsible for coordinating and running the hospital's highly sought-after first-line emergency care course every year.

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Mrs Lawrence said she felt proud when she saw her students manage emergency presentations without calling her for help.

"I love passing that knowledge on, I love watching the students grow, and then watching them become more confident," she said.

"You teach them, you watch them grow, and then they don't need you. That means I've done my job."

Looking forward to the next chapter of her life, Mrs Lawrence plans to spend lots of time with her husband and their two dogs, and visiting her two young grandsons in Thurgoona.

She also plans to become more involved in the Riverina Plants and Gardening group.

Even though she's already been approached for jobs, her plan is to retire for life.

"Everything I've done I've really loved," she said. "I've always tried to do my best with everything."

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