Walking through the construction site of the new critical services building at Canberra Hospital brought back a core memory for Margi Braithwaite.
Fifty years before she walked through a construction site for the Woden Valley Hospital located on the very same spot.
Back in 1973, Ms Braithwaite was part of the first group of nurses to start at the hospital. On Monday, she was there to celebrate its 50th birthday.
"Going through the new hospital, it was just like a flashback, except we didn't have high-vis and helmets you just sort of straddled your way through," she said.
Susan Gladwish followed Ms Braithwaite, in 1973, and was part of the second group of nurses to start at the hospital. The first group of nurses decided it was only fitting to play a practical joke.
"Two of us went down with stolen sisters uniforms and urine bottles and we told them they had to wear their brand new shoes and they had to produce a sample and have it on the desk of the chief principal nurse educator," Ms Braithwaite said.
The boss decided she did not want this to go to waste and so it was the very first lesson for Ms Gladwish's group.
"The principal nurse educator made us learn how to test urine," she said.
Ms Braithwaite left the service in 1987. Ms Gladwish left last year, spending nearly 50 years at the hospital and she has kept all her badges from her time there. She was gifted a badge for every decade she was at the hospital.
Margaret Oldigs, who started in 1976, is still involved with Canberra Health Services. She is a midwife but has been working in COVID testing in recent years and has volunteered at the hospital.
"I used to do the lolly trolley before COVID and that was lovely. I have kept a link with the place but it's too technological for me now," she said.
Ms Oldigs was affectionately known as "Gorjus" to many of her patients and has a badge with this name (and spelling).
"As midwife I would get the ladies who would come in in labour, frightened and scared and I would introduce my name as Marg but I would say if you forget that just called me 'Gorjus'," she said.
"They would always remember that and laugh and relax and we would get on with the job."
The trio have seen a lot of changes over the years.
"We didn't have technology. Everything was handwritten," Ms Gladwish said.
"And the amalgamation of the two hospitals in 1991 was a significant change for me."
Ms Braithwaite said: "Medicine has changed so much. What we knew 50 years ago and what we know now is just phenomenal."
The friendships are one of the most treasured parts of the job for all three and they reminisced over photo albums on Monday.
"I've met the most amazing colleagues, friends, not just nurses but doctors. We've all seen them come in as baby doctors and walk out as consultants and they still hug us when they see us," Ms Oldigs said.
The 50th anniversary of Canberra Hospital was celebrated on Monday with an event in the critical services building.
"From those on the frontline, day and night providing care when it's needed, through to the quiet achievers, often unseen, who keep the wheels turning in the background, we say thank you," Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said.
"The Canberra Hospital continues to make an enormous contribution to our community, providing essential health care that Canberrans and their families rely on."
