Jill Hansen’s eventful career has spanned numerous pandemic threats, from Ebola to swine flu, but it was Covid-19 that really put her — and the nation — to the test.
She has a long-standing background as an infection control practitioner — specialising in it for almost half her career, which began at Kew Hospital, in Invercargill, in the early ’70s.
Despite her half-century of service, she is not ready to hang up her stethoscope.
Based at Dunstan Hospital, Mrs Hansen led the team as it battled to contain the potentially deadly coronavirus.
"We had no idea what we were dealing with for a start."
Her work involved leading the way, preparing the hospital for a possible outbreak locally, and she was constantly following the moving feast of Ministry of Health guidelines.
"It was long hours and even then, in the weekends, you often got phone calls, and that was fine."
As she put it, her role was not just keeping patients safe, but the wider community.
Her career has included holding the position of southern region regional co-ordinator for the National College of Infection Prevention and Control nurses and a 16-year background in infection control, having qualified in 2004.
It was another feather in her nursing cap in a career that started at Kew Hospital, in Invercargill, in 1971.
Back then, she trained on the job — six weeks of learning the basics.
She was then "set free" in the ward where she continued her training.
Mrs Hansen said her earlier days were spent making beds and completing blocks of one to two weeks of classes over the course of three years, before sitting hospital and state final exams.
In 1974, after completing her training, Mrs Hansen stayed at Kew Hospital, where she worked in the operating theatre before progressing to the intensive care unit and coronary care for another four to five years.
She later worked in the surgical wards.
Mrs Hansen took time out to have children, but it was not long before she was back at work doing night duty.
In 1988, she started working at what was then called the Parks Trust Hospital, now known as Southern Cross.
In 2007, she moved to Alexandra with her husband, Ray, and secured a job at nearby Dunstan Hospital, in Clyde.
"I’ve been here ever since."
Mrs Hansen was involved in infection prevention and control while working at Southern Cross, which was a component of her work that followed her.
"When I moved up here, I didn’t think I would be involved in anything [like that again]," she said.
"I got tapped on the shoulder to see if I would be interested in applying in 2010."
She was accepted for the position, which she will step aside from in the coming days to focus on her clinical role on the ward.
Her work over the past year has not gone unnoticed.
"People said I did well keeping them informed. For me, I was just doing my job."
She also believed the staff had coped well.
"There was a lot involved in screening patients with Covid-like symptoms."
A range of other outbreaks have threatened the world during Mrs Hansen’s career, but none quite like Covid-19.
"I remember Sars and bird flu. The ministry [of Health] put out a pandemic plan and I was part of putting that plan together. Every year you go through your pandemic plan because it has to be refined."
Before Covid-19, Mrs Hansen had planned to pass on her role of infection prevention and control in February to focus on her clinical role.
"I thought I’ll never have to deal with this again in my career. But you never know."
