'The only constant has been change'

Thursday, 09 August, 2012

An Aberdeen-based nursing lecturer has celebrated the end of her 38 year career at a special event held in her honour at Robert Gordon University (RGU).

Margaret Hutson (55), from Westhill, will retire at the end of August from the School of Nursing and Midwifery having worked across the past four decades predominantly within the fields of Adult Nursing practice and education.

Staff and students attended a presentation and reception held for Margaret within the University’s Faculty of Health and Social Care on Tuesday 7 August. During the presentation, her contributions to the profession and to the generations of nurses and clinical colleagues she has worked with and mentored were recognised. 

Originally born in Dumfries but moving to Aberdeen in 1969 aged 13, Margaret took the first step towards a nursing career in 1974 by training at Foresterhill College in Aberdeen. Three years later, she took her first job as a staff nurse in orthopaedics at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).

In the following years, Margaret trained as a midwife at King’s College Hospital, London, and returned to Aberdeen to work as a staff nurse within ARI’s Accident and Emergency, Neurosurgery and Intensive Care units.   

In 1981, she made the decision to step across to nurse education where she has remained for the rest of her career. Her first appointment  was  as a  clinical teacher within ARI’s surgical and medical wards. Undertaking further training in Jordanhill School of Further Education in 1987, Margaret became a nurse teacher within Foresterhill College.

When nurse education transferred to the university sector in the mid 1990s, Margaret followed, joining RGU as a lecturer within the School of Nursing and Midwifery in 1996. During her time with the university, she has worked in the School’s Practice Education team, supporting registered nurses to prepare for and undertake the important role of mentoring and assessing student nurses on practice placement.

Reflecting on her career, Margaret said: “Inevitably over the last 38 years of my career there have been immense changes in the world of nursing, nurse education and health care provision – the only constant is that there is and will always be constant change. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career and feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be involved in the world of nursing and nurse education.”

Alison McLennan, senior lecturer within the School and Margaret’s line manager, said:

“It has been a real pleasure for me being Margaret’s manager and working alongside her for many years. She has been a super role model to many student nurses and also to qualified staff and in particular lecturing colleagues in the School.

“Over her years of service to nurse education, Margaret has been influential not only in shaping nurse education curriculum but also in developing registered nurses to become mentors for our students in practice. She rightly deserves to have a healthy, happy and fruitful retirement and although we will miss her we send her on her way with our thanks and very best wishes.”

Margaret has no immediate plans for her retirement, but is looking forward to having more time to pursue other interests.

“This is probably the first time in my life that I have had no definite plans,” she remarked, “and that is quite a nice feeling!”

Photo caption:

From left: Professor Brian Webster (Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery), Alison McLennan (senior lecturer) and Margaret Hutson

Issued by:

Andrew Youngson
Communications Officer | Faculty of Health and Social Care
Robert Gordon University
Schoolhill
Aberdeen
AB10 1FR
Tel: 01224 262389
Email: a.c.youngson@rgu.ac.uk

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