Thunder Bay’s nursing community came together to celebrate National Nursing Week.
92-year-old Norma Randa Vescio graduated from the St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in 1948 and her picture is featured in a new display at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“It is quite an honour, I certainly didn’t expect it, but it’s a wonderful feeling because there were five girls in my family and four of us became nurses.”
Vescio has this advice to new nurses entering the workforce.
“Be sure you want to be a nurse because some people get into jobs and they aren’t happy. You have to really like people and caring for sick people who can’t care for themselves. It’s a very rewarding career.”
She goes on to say she has no regrets over choosing a career in nursing.
“I always loved my nursing career. It’s a very difficult job, and I think you have to be a special person to do it, but if you can it’s really rewarding, and I loved every minute of it. I have nothing but good to say about St. Joe’s, they were wonderful to work for, and they looked after us really well.”
Other students from over the many years of the St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing reunited including Doris Rossi and her friends. She says it was wonderful to be included in the celebration. It’s been 115 years since the school first opened its doors.
Rossi tells us nursing has changed dramatically since she first graduated in 1965, “myself and my classmates are very much from the old school. We wore caps and uniforms and looked very professional as nurses, and now sometimes you can’t identify who is a nurse and who is not.”
She says the esteem and the high regard for nurses are still there. “I still believe in a very high quality of nursing, and hopefully that’s always there for everyone who goes into the nursing program.”
Rossi has this advice for new nurses “hold your head up high and keep in mind care, compassion and concern.”
Located at St. Joseph’s Hospital, the school, saw the graduation of 845 nurses before being absorbed into the Lakehead Regional School of Nursing.
The school’s crest was designed by a nursing student and was locally crafted in terrazzo, and it became a symbol of the School of Nursing. Following the amalgamation of the nursing schools, the site became home to the Sister Margaret Smith Centre, and the crest was adopted by many as a symbol of the journey to recovery. When the building was demolished to make space for the new East Wing, the crest was preserved and now has a new home as part of the Main Entrance to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Jerry Della Mettia was taught by his father and built the terrazzo in his parents home in 1954. He said he worked during the day and then would come home and work on the project during the evening hours.
He says he was touched to see St. Joseph’s hospital preserve his hard work.
“Oh, jeepers I was quite surprised. When they told me, they saved it at the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital property all these years, and it weighed 1500 pounds when they took it out.”
For the next six months, the public can learn more by visiting a display covering some key highlights from St. Joseph’s Care Group’s 135 Years in service to the people of Northwestern Ontario. This display was created in partnership with the Thunder Bay Museum and can be seen in the Main Hallway of St. Joseph’s Hospital.
You can also learn more about the school of nursing through their new artwork seen below.
