A fond farewell to Julie Cosgrove

The room was full of love, laughter and tears when St George Hospital threw a surprise farewell for their beloved Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services, Julie Cosgrove.

Starting at St George Hospital as a New Graduate nurse in 1995, Julie spent several years working in the Gastrointestinal surgical ward before moving into the High Dependency Unit.

Julie became the High Dependency Unit Nurse Unit Manager in 2008 and was highly regarded in this role, which lead to a position as Executive Support Manager in 2010.

In 2011 Julie took on the role of Critical Care Nursing Co-Director and spent several stints working in the acting Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services from 2015 to 2020, before it became her permanent position in 2021.

Lauren Sturgess, Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services, who gave a heart-felt speech at Julie’s farewell, said: “Julie is the epitome of a what a good nurse should be. She is strong willed, hardworking, has sound clinical judgment, critical thinking skills and professionalism. She also has a healthy dash of common sense, and a somewhat surprisingly cheeky sense of humour.”

“You will be missed but we will find great comfort in knowing that you are getting the overdue time back to focus on yourself, like you so richly deserve. You leave a behind a strong legacy, of which you should be immensely proud,” Lauren added.

Dr Heidi Boss, Director of Medical Services, spoke about Julie’s friendship and support. Julie and Heidi worked closely together as incident controllers over the past three years,. In an emotional speech, Heidi honoured Julie’s hard work, acknowledging their kinship as a saviour during this difficult time.

Thanks for everything Julie, wishing you happiness in your next adventures!