GLASGOW — Helen Adwell’s first six months of registered nurse training at Nashville General Hospital were virtually all work and no play.
The soon-to-be RN was required to live on campus and was busy taking classes five days a week, as well as a half day on Saturday.
Further stipulations kept Adwell and her classmates on campus for the first six months. Trips home were not allowed during that period of time.
“We didn’t have a lot of free time,” Adwell said.
In 1957, she graduated from Nashville’s program and was soon employed as an RN at T.J. Samson Community Hospital. It was a calling she knew she would one day answer.
“I love people,” Adwell said. “Ever since I was 6-years-old, I always said I’m going to be a nurse.”
Adwell remembers there only being two RNs at the hospital when she started. By the time she retired in 1998, there was one nurse for each station at T.J. Samson.
“We all (were) a family,” she said. “We saw all the patients.”
Although retired, Adwell has been far from inactive. She loves flowers and devotes time to working in her three rock gardens, which “takes quite a bit of work.”
Because of the cold winter temperatures, Adwell is having to replace some of the shrubs and bushes she lost.
She may have a passion for horticulture, but Adwell has derived the most enjoyment in her retirement by traveling.
Her adventures have taken her to most of this country’s eastern states, as well as two trips to Hawaii.
“It’s just so beautiful there,” Adwell said.
She also encourages everyone to make a trip to Alaska at least once.
For future travels, Adwell is setting her sights abroad, or, more specifically, to the land down under. Her dream destination is a chance to explore the Australian outback and spend some time in Sydney.
“You don’t hear a lot about Australia,” she said.
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BRAD DICKERSON
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