In our Autumn edition of Thrive we met Jane from our Centro village who was a nurse for 40 years. Here’s her story…
It is often said that nurses are a gift; their work and kindness resonates deeply with their patients. The reason they are drawn to nursing varies, and for Jane Levett she was answering the call to help the elderly.
For forty years Jane worked in gerontology – aged care – and it was her compassion, and desire to spread that compassion to others, that inspired her throughout her career.
I loved nursing. I was always brought up with grandparents and had a lot of respect for them. I’ve always felt for the aged and my philosophy was if you do the right thing by them, when the time comes someone will do the same thing by you.
It was this attitude that saw Jane foster a rewarding career, and her compassionate nature spread to those around her as she moved into management roles while raising her three children. The learning never stops as a nurse, and for Jane her biggest lesson applied in other areas of life.
As a nurse, you have to be a good listener and support families who are going through a tough experience.
These lessons have stayed with Jane into her retirement years and she still strives to apply the same level of compassion to all her friends, family and neighbours.
Find out more about some of our St Ives Characters in the Autumn edition of Thrive here. In the latest edition you’ll find great articles on travel, gardening, a chat with footy legend Graham Moss, plus lots more.
If you are a resident and know someone who would be a great addition to the St Ives Character feature in our Thrive magazine, please email us at [email protected]. You may even dob yourself in if you like!