Most people dream of retirement the moment they start working, but it’s probably safe to say that Florence “Seesee” Rigney is not like most people.
Although she technically did retire from her nursing career when she turned 67, the short break only lasted for five months.
"I stayed retired for about five months, then I came back, and here I am," she told KING5.
Now, at 90-years-old, Rigney strolls through the halls of Tacoma General Hospital as the oldest practicing nurse in the United States.
"She runs circles around all of us," Sheri Morris, assistant nurse manager, told TODAY.com. "She's a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and we absolutely love her."
To show Rigney just how much she means to the hospital, Morris and the rest of the staff came up with a plan to throw Seesee a massive surprise party for her 90th birthday.
Since she had actually taken her birthday off, Morris and her director, Paula Swanson, set up the birthday bash a day early.
"We had to do something," Morris said. "She'd had over six decades of service at the hospital. How could we not honor that?"
The beloved nurse has been working the same exact station ever since she enrolled in the Tacoma General School of Nursing in 1946.
"She always knew she wanted to be a nurse," Morris explained. "Over the past almost-century, she ended up in a few different places in the U.S., and at times drifted away from Tacoma General Hospital to spend time with her husband or kids for a year or two, but she always came back here."
In the heartwarming video below, the entire hospital—including the CEO—celebrated Rigney’s special day.
"I can't believe it," Rigney said. "90 years ago, I came into this world. And here I am."
See the tear-jerking surprise in the clip below now!
Video Credit: Martie Schultz via YouTube.com
