'Never see nursing as a job': Much-loved sister retires after 46 years of dedicated service for Wolverhampton trust
A much-loved and much-respected nurse retiring after four and a half decades is looking forward to spending more time with her family.
Intensive Critical Care Unit (ICCU) Sister Karen Allen, known affectionately to colleagues as Macca, is retiring at the age of 65 after a 46-year career at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
Ms Allen joined the trust in April 1979 and, over the decades, she has worked in a variety of roles across the organisation, earning a reputation for her unwavering dedication and genuine passion for patient care.
Reflecting on her career, she said: “The best thing about being a nurse is being there for your patients as it’s all I have ever wanted to do.
"I don’t see it as a job; it’s a vocation.”
Although she has gained experience in many departments, she said it was her years on the ICCU that hold her most cherished memories, forming close friendships with colleagues she said she now considers family.
She said: “My best memory has been working on the ICCU and all the amazing friends I’ve made along the way.
"The support, teamwork and camaraderie are something I will never forget.”
Ms Allen said she hopes future generations of nurses will feel the same sense of purpose she has carried throughout her career.
She said: “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, colleagues organised a special gathering to celebrate her contributions, share stories and recognise the impact she has made over more than four decades of service.
