Cardiff Dental Nurse Celebrates 50 Years of Working in the NHS
A dental nurse from Cardiff is celebrating 50 years of working for the NHS, a feat made all the more incredible by the fact that she hasn’t taken a single day off sick.
Liz Hooper, who is affectionately known as ‘the oracle’, was presented with a bunch of flowers and other gifts from colleagues at the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in recognition of her amazing achievement. Liz started working for the NHS after spotting a vacancy advertised for a Saturday job at a local dental practice in Treharris in the local paper. Liz wrote to the matron and was subsequently accepted for the position. She started her dental nurse training in 1967, and has never looked back.
In 1970, Liz progressed to senior nurse tutor, a role she continues to cherish today. Over the years, she has taught and mentored hundreds of dental nurses in and around Cardiff and she has been an inspiration to many. Interim dental nurse manager at the health board, Beverly Withers, is just one of those who has benefited from Liz’s dedication and enthusiasm for dental nursing. Beverly said she is a go-to for anyone who has a query or question related to dental health and this is why everyone calls her ‘the oracle’.
Director of operations at the board, Hayley Dixon, expressed her gratitude to Liz for the last 50 years of service and praised her commitment to the job.
Liz said the secret to her success lies in the fact that she loves her job. She has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know so many people over the years, and she maintains contact with many of the nurses she has trained during her career.
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