Nursing grads remember St. Mike’s

By Lethbridge Herald on June 17, 2025.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Once a nurse, always a nurse, and nurses have been a fundamental part of health care throughout history. 

To celebrate their contribution to the field, the St. Michael’s School of Nursing Alumni held a reunion for the classes of 1970, 1965 and 1960 at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge Sunday morning, with the class of 1960 marking its milestone 65th year. It was also a time to reminisce and reflect. 

“A lot of graduates are over 85, and many of them aren’t with us anymore,” said Class of 1965 member Connie Watmough. “We used to have over a hundred. Most classes started with over 30. 

“We never graduated with that many. If you didn’t make your marks after six months, you were let go. Some people quit in their last year to get married, because you could not be married in training, back then. And if they did, they had to do it in secret…as long as the nuns didn’t know.”

The St. Michael’s School of Nursing operated in Lethbridge from 1953 to 1973. The school was established by the Sisters of St. Martha and initially operated within St. Michael’s Hospital before closing and transferring nursing education to Lethbridge College in 1973.

“I grew up on a ranch at Ft. McCloud and that was very hard physical work,” said Class of 1960 Member Jackie Evans, who worked for 36 years at St. Michaels. “So I thought I had to do something to get out of here, and I thought I could do teaching or nursing…and I thought,‘I don’t know about teaching, so I became a nurse.

“In the beginning we had a lot of contact with the patient. As technology advanced, the work became more book work, computer work and less contact with the patients…but it’s been a challenging and wonderful career.” 

When the provincial government decided to consolidate nursing education within the community college system, it led to the closure of St. Michael’s, which had trained 500 nurses during 20 years of operation. 

Nurses trained in the ‘60s and ‘70s had a very different educational and professional landscape compared to nursing graduates in 2025. The primary differences are in educational pathways, technological integration, expanded roles, and a greater emphasis on patient-centred care.

For example, nurses at the University of Lethbridge have access to hyper-realistic mannequins, also known as high-fidelity simulators, that can simulate a wide range of medical scenarios like heart attacks and strokes, just to name two.

“We had a mannequin named ‘Mrs. Chase’ who couldn’t do all those things,” says Class of 1970 graduate Elda Barba, who retired seven years ago after a 38-year career. “She just laid there.”

Nurses in the ‘60s and ‘70s often trained in hospital-based diploma programs, while today, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the standard, with many pursuing advanced degrees. Technology, particularly in diagnostics and patient monitoring, has vastly advanced, requiring different skill sets. Nurses today also have access to a wider range of specialized roles and a greater focus on patient empowerment and engagement.

Despite all the advancements in technology, education, and specialization within the nursing field, the core values and fundamental aspects of nursing remain unchanged: unwavering commitment to patient-centred care, ethical principles guiding practice, and the focus on holistic well-being continue to be the bedrock of the profession. 

“Whenever we get together, we always hear ‘aren’t you glad we’re not working today?’” said Barba. “Because things have changed. There were always challenges for us working in health care. Today, there are even more challenges, and I give so much credit to nurses and everyone working in health care now.”