Retired nurse goes from poorly babies to paw-some therapy dogs
After nearly half a century caring for premature and critically ill babies, a retired neonatal nurse is continuing her lifelong commitment to care - this time with her dog Rosie.
Having devoted 47 years to neonatal nursing, Joyce McIntosh, from Maldon, has decided she is not quite ready to turn her back on healthcare.
Joyce and three-year-old golden retriever Rosie have joined Essex Therapy Dogs and visit Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford every couple of weeks, touring the wards to help lift spirits and spread a bit of joy.
As a neonatal specialist Joyce, 63, supported countless families through some of the most anxious moments of their lives, caring for the smallest and most vulnerable patients.
After growing up in Scotland where she trained to be a nurse, Joyce re-located to South Africa with her parents. There she got her first taste of neonatal care which became a lifelong commitment.
A colleague there suggested I work with babies who had been born very prematurely and needed a huge amount of care and attention, and I loved it from the start and knew it was where I was meant to be.
After returning to the UK Joyce began working at St John’s Hospital in Chelmsford, working her way up to matron and senior sister. In 1989 she moved to Broomfield Hospital where she remained for most of her working life.
Joyce, who has three daughters and six grandchildren, says it was a privilege to do a job that made such a difference and continued to have an impact on families.
“I have had parents, years later, come up to me in the supermarket with a very tall teenager to say hello and tell me I helped look after them when they were born.
”And I also had the opportunity to work with an excellent team of colleagues over the years.”
So when it came to retiring, Joyce knew she wouldn’t go very far.
She said: “I had seen the Essex Therapy Dogs and thought Rosie would be good at it, so I got in touch with them and applied.”
Joyce continued: “Once she was accepted, we started coming into the wards. She helps bring a bit of calm to people at a worrying time. She particularly enjoys seeing the children and there are always lots of snacks on the floor there!
You can see people’s faces light up when she comes in and we both love going in.
As well as the hospital, Joyce and Rosie also visit a local primary school as well as care home residents in Maldon.