(Wednesday, 11 September 2024)
As we bid farewell to Anne Mercer, a valued member of our Hospice Marlborough family, we reflect on her extraordinary nursing career, dedication to patient care, and the significant impact she has had on our community.
Anne began her nursing journey in 1984 after working as a secretary in London. She trained at Joyce Green Hospital in Dartford, Kent – an historic fever hospital established in 1903 to treat smallpox patients.
This experience laid the foundation for Anne’s diverse career in nursing.
After qualifying, Anne moved to London to specialise in cardiology, a field she would passionately serve for fifteen years, starting at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington on the Coronary Care Unit. In 1989, Anne embarked on her O.E, travelling through Asia before settling in Sydney, where she worked on Coronary Care Units at St Vincent’s, and the Royal Prince Alfred, the largest hospital in the Southern Hemisphere at that time.
Returning to London to complete a Diploma in Cardiology at the Royal Brompton Heart and Lung Hospital, it was during this period she also met her husband, Jim. The couple then moved to Kent, where Anne advanced to a sisters post on a newly opened Coronary Care Unit, later becoming a Research Sister, working notably on the ‘Heart Protection Study’, a randomized controlled trial run by the Clinical Trial Service Unit, and funded by a large drug company and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in the United Kingdom.
When Anne and Jim welcomed their second child, Anne decided to balance family life with part-time nursing at Bedford Hospital although, later, seeking a better lifestyle for her family, as Jim was regularly travelling around the world buying exotic fruit and vegetables, they moved to sunny Marlborough. Anne initially joined the ICU at Wairau Hospital before transitioning, in 2004, to Marlborough Community Hospice (as Hospice Marlborough was called at the time), where she completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Palliative Care, beginning her deep connection with Hospice Marlborough.
For the next thirteen years, from 2008, Anne worked as a Practice Nurse in two Medical Centres in Blenheim, a role that suited her family life perfectly. She returned to Hospice Marlborough in 2019 as a casual nurse, with 2020 marking her move into her Family Support, Loss, and Grief role. Her compassion and dedication have profoundly impacted both our patients and their families during some of their most challenging times.
As Anne prepares to leave us, she reflects on her time here, saying, “It has been such a special place to work, a privilege to support so many local families and I have made so many wonderful friends”.
Anne’s last day with Hospice Marlborough will be on Friday, September 20, after which time she will return to the UK for a family wedding and to reunite with her loved ones, especially her daughter Liv.
Our team are going to deeply miss Anne however we are heartened to know that she will continue her role as an ACP facilitator (Advanced Care Planning) at the Blenheim PHO Hub when she returns to New Zealand, staying in contact with us and continuing to champion the values she holds dear.
Anne, from your Hospice Marlborough family, thank you for your unwavering commitment to nursing, your heartfelt care for our community, and your years of service at Hospice Marlborough. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and look forward to staying connected as you continue to make a difference in the lives of others.