Dubbo Base Hospital Food Production Manager Sandra Sense and fellow staff members and friends celebrated Mrs Sense's fiftieth year working for the hospital on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I was looking for a job, and I came up here. I was sixteen at the time," Mrs Sense said.
Dubbo Base Hospital Food Production Manager Sandra Sense and fellow staff members and friends celebrated Mrs Sense's fiftieth year working for the hospital on Monday.
"I was looking for a job, and I came up here. I was sixteen at the time," Mrs Sense said. "A couple of the ladies from the domestic section asked if I could start the next day, and I said yes."
Mrs Sense said she had only told one of her girlfriends about her pending milestone.
Telling that one person was enough for her to be surprised with a cake and a special presentation on Monday when she arrived to work.
"I went into the staff cafeteria room expecting to have a meeting," Ms Sense said.
"Instead, I was surprised with a celebration. I'd only told one person, and I had said to her; you haven't told anyone have you? She said no. When I arrived at work I was also surprised with flowers from my dear friend too."
Ms Sense said she believes part of why she has lasted in the job for such a significant time comes down to the fact that she enjoys her work.
"I have seen some great staff come and go during my time here, and I've had a lot of amazing managers who have really helped me to grow," she said.
"Robert Shaw has been my manager for the last thirty years, and we work well together.
"They've taken good care of me.They were so supportive when my husband was dying that I was still able to continue working until my husband wanted me to give up. I was able to have three months off to be with him.
"I went on carers leaves and was able to have time off. Which, I don't get that often. I was then able to run over to oncology, sit with my husband, take him home and put him into bed and then come back here and work."
Mrs Sense said when she reflects on that time, she isn't sure how she was able to do it.
"I think when those things happen, you just run off adrenalin," she said.
"Everyone was so supportive during times like that, and I do that for my staff too.
"I'm not a stressful sort of person. You treat people how they treat you, and you just go with the flow and go about your work."
Mrs Sense said she's seen times change over her years at the hospital, but the most significant change was the implementation of computers in the kitchen.
"We have a standard system for recipes now," she said.
"Back, in the beginning, we had some amazing cooks. Chris was one, and his food was beautiful, but he had his secret ingredients that he'd written down. Now you can see everything that goes into the meals.
"Work has been my life, but I do have an outside life, I've just purchased a motor home. My friend also has one, and she's a widow too."
