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WARREN -- Two nurses at Trumbull Regional Medical Center were celebrated Friday for more than 50 years of service.
Both registered nurses, Catherine Spanos and Rosie Minton, went to school to become registered nurses through the Trumbull Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, which is no longer in operation.
Minton, 72, said she wanted to be a nurse when she was 6-years-old.
"My dad had heart disease, and he was a patient in this hospital a lot when I was a little girl and I always looked up to the nurses that took care of him," she said. "That's what I wanted to do with my life and that's how it started for me."
She works on the outpatient surgery floor.
"We get patients ready for surgery; we recover them postoperatively and hopefully discharge them back to their home in a safe manner," Minton said.
Before working on the surgery floor, Minton worked in pediatrics before the department closed.
She said her favorite thing about working as a nurse is caring for patients and "making a difference in their day."
"I think my most favorite memory is truly when I see people out and about outside the hospital and they'll remember me and say thank you for taking care of my family and I really don't remember them that well but they remember me and that means a lot," Minton said.
Minton said she recommends going into the nursing field since nurses are in high demand.
"I think the secret to being a good nurse is to realize that your patients have a lot going on with them that we don't know about and just to be kind and compassionate. It goes a long way," she said.
She said people who want to go into nursing should speak with someone in the field before deciding to become a nurse.
Although Minton loves her job, she said she is excited to retire. She said she plans to travel to Seattle, the Grand Canyon and around the country in her free time.
Also focusing much of her career on pediatrics was 71-year-old Spanos.
"I figured I could work with kids once I graduated and that's exactly what I was able to do," she said. "I worked (in pediatrics) for over 40 years and two-thirds."
She said when the pediatric wing closed, it was a hard change for her and Minton, who have been by each other's side for decades.
"We've always worked together," Spanos said.
Spanos said she also works with surgery patients.
"I do pre-op and post-op, take care of patients, get them ready for surgery, get them to go home (and) we call patients the next day and get their charts organized," she said.
She said her favorite things about being a nurse are being kind to others, taking care of people and that her employees are like family.
She said her secret to being a good nurse is being "compassionate and understanding and treating every patient as if they were the only one."
Spanos recommends job shadowing before deciding on becoming a nurse.
Her favorite memories as a nurse include seeing patients she took care of as children return when they're older.
"We took care of somebody that was a surgical patient and he came back later with his child and we saw them continuing on (with) their life," Spanos said.
Spanos said other treasured memories are with the friends she's made through work, the time they've spent together outside of work and their milestones.
Aside from hanging out with friends outside of work, Spanos said she enjoys babysitting her grandkids and doing yard work. She added it feels good to retire so she can spend more time with her family.
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