Multicare Tacoma (Wash.) General Hospital employees gathered around Florence Rigney, RN, to celebrate her 92nd birthday — and her position as the oldest working nurse in the U.S. — Monday, according to The Chronicle.
Ms. Rigney, affectionately known as "SeeSee," has worked as a registered nurse since 1946. She said she tried to retire twice during her career, but her love for the profession and the special place Tacoma General holds in her heart kept bringing her back.
She said she attempted to quit in 1958 after she and her husband adopted their first child, but returned full-time after her husband's death in 1977. Ms. Rigney tried to quit a second time when she turned 67, but withdrew her decision five months later. She said the 8-hour shifts twice a week help keep her mind sharp, according to the report.
Despite her age, one of Ms. Rigney's co-workers told The Chronicle Ms. Rigney still "runs circles around all of [the employees]," and moves around the hospital "with the energy of a woman half her age," according to the report.
In 2016, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee sent Ms. Rigney a birthday card honoring her achievements and congratulating her on being the oldest working nurse in the nation.
"I like the people I work with … I really feel blessed that I'm able to help in the care of patients," Ms. Rigney said.