When Waikato Hospital clinical nurse manager Dinny Oakley put the call out for nurses interested in returning to the workforce she had no idea the response would be so good. More than 100 people turned up for two open day sessions today (Friday) at Waikato Hospital most saying they were inspired to come and find out more about a return to nursing when they saw articles featuring 63-year-old Hamilton grandmother Lorraine Stringer. “When I saw that I thought ‘if she can do it, I can do it’,” one woman said during the question and answer session. Mrs Stringer is among a new breed of older nurses rapidly becoming important as Health Waikato grapples with nursing shortages. She is now a casual nurse working hours that suit her lifestyle. Ms Oakley said she was “absolutely overwhelmed with the response”. Those who attended ranged from young mothers looking to ease their way back into nursing to those who had left nursing years ago and keen to come back. Read more