Golden girl Bernie marks 50 years of nursing excellence with Northern Trust

Nurse Bernie Rogers

A nurse with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has said she would “absolutely do it all over again” as she marks an extraordinary 50 years of service to the nursing profession.

Bernie Rogers, from Maghera, began her career in January 1976 at the School of Nursing in Mid Ulster Hospital. Five decades on, and despite officially retiring, she continues to play a valued role within Team North, supporting colleagues and patients alike.

A special event was recently held to recognise Bernie’s remarkable milestone, bringing colleagues together to celebrate her ongoing contribution to nursing across the Trust.

Reflecting on her career, Bernie said:

“I have loved every minute of my 50-year-career as a nurse, and I would absolutely do it all over again if I could. I have met great people and made great friends. It has been a rewarding and enjoyable career, and caring for people at their most vulnerable has been a huge privilege.”

Bernie Rogers (centre) pictured with Maria Loughran, the Northern Trust’s Head of Nursing Workforce and Utilisation (left) and Tracie Fleming (right), Workforce and Regulation Assistant Director.

Bernie’s professional journey spans some of the most demanding and vital areas of healthcare. Her first Staff Nurse role was a rotational post in the children’s ward at Mid Ulster Hospital, before moving to the Emergency Department. She later undertook midwifery post-registration training at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast between 1980 and 1982, returning to Mid Ulster Hospital’s medical ward following qualification.

In 1984, Bernie moved into the Intensive Care Unit, where she remained for almost two decades and became one of the first nurses to complete Advanced Life Support (ALS) training.

In 2003, she was appointed to Northern Ireland’s first clinical support team, delivering clinical skills training to junior doctors. The team received a national training award in 2004, highlighting the impact of their work.

Bernie later took on a nurse practitioner role at Antrim Area Hospital in 2011, before moving to Causeway Hospital as Hospital at Night Co-ordinator in 2012, a position she held until her retirement in 2018.

However, retirement did not mark the end of her service. Bernie returned as a part-time bank staff member within the Corporate Nursing Team, supporting the introduction of person-centred care practices. She also worked in care homes as part of the REACH team, providing vital support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent years, Bernie has worked within the Nursing Workforce Team, supporting newly qualified and internationally educated nurses by providing clinical skills training and helping them transition into confident, competent registrants.

Bernie Rogers (back row, third left) pictured with colleagues at her 50th anniversary party.

Paying tribute to Bernie’s achievement, Tracie Fleming, Workforce and Regulation Assistant Director with the Northern Trust, said:

“It’s a rare privilege to celebrate something truly extraordinary. 50 years of dedication to nursing, not just a career but a lifetime of service, compassion, and unwavering commitment to caring for others.

“On behalf of the entire nursing workforce team and the Northern Trust, I would like to thank Bernie for her service, her dedication, and her heart. She is the embodiment of everything nursing should be, and we were honoured to celebrate this remarkable milestone with her.”

Maria Loughran, Head of Nursing Workforce and Utilisation, also praised Bernie’s lasting impact on the profession:

“Throughout her career and in more recent years, Bernie has made a huge personal and professional contribution to nursing, exemplifying values of care, compassion, competence and integrity and our Team North values - working together, excellence, openness and honesty and compassion.

“Bernie has always maintained a professional curiosity, continually learning and being innovative, always with a smile and always with the patient and their family at centre of everything she does.

“The nursing profession and the Team North nursing family is richer for having Bernie Rogers over the past 50 years.”

As colleagues and friends reflect on her career, Bernie’s story stands as a powerful reminder of the dedication, resilience and humanity at the heart of nursing — and of the difference one individual can make over a lifetime of care.