General News
23 January, 2026
Nursing a life-long passion for Debbie Weir
The Maryborough District Health Service has recognised Debbie Weir for 45 years of service to local health outcomes. A lifelong local herself, Mrs Weir's career came about almost by accident.
Longtime local Debbie Weir has recently been recognised for 45 years of continuous service at Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS).
It’s the latest milestone in an extraordinary, if accidental, nursing career that was never part of her original plan.
A younger Mrs Weir wanted her career’s heights to be literal, not metaphorical, with a dream of becoming an air hostess.
But at 18-years-old she was too young to apply, but knew first aid was needed, so decided to bide her time with nursing.
“I applied for a nursing aid course, didn’t get in, and was instead offered a general nursing course. I said yes and I’m so glad I did,” she said.
Mrs Weir began her nursing career in 1978 as a student nurse in Maryborough, training through the Northern District School of Nursing in Bendigo.
During one of her placements she discovered a love for recovery and theatre nursing during a marathon operation.
“I’ll never forget it,” she said.
The patient was a woman who had gone through a plate glass window and was bleeding from her neck.
It was an emergency that saw her called back in after just completing a shift and then worked through the night.
“I always remember, because I was only a student then, we used to get reports written on us all the time and I had an absolutely brilliant report written so I must have done well,” she said.
After graduating with distinction in 1981 she went straight into work in outpatients, emergency care and theatre, at a time when hospital-trained nurses stepped directly into full clinical roles.
“It seemed to come natural,” she said.
Another accidental career move came during COVID when operations were paused and the staff were redeployed.
Mrs Weir was sent to Dunolly Residential Community which “terrified’ her at first after spending her whole life working in theatre.
“I cried because I didn’t want to be there,” she said.
Afterwards, however, her own advice to nervous patients ahead of an operation rings true.
“I can’t do anything to stop that now but all I can say is afterwards you’ll think that was nothing to worry about,” she said.
Mrs Weir now said she “couldn’t believe” how much she enjoyed aged care, she even nearly resigned from theatre, but first went back to see if that would be the right decision.
“I went back to theatre and my very first day I thought yep this is what I like, this is what I’ve chosen to do, this is what I love,” she said.
Mrs Weir currently works as acting nurse unit manager at the Dunolly campus while her substantive role is associate nurse unit manager in theatre.
She also works shifts as the after hours coordinator including the final night shift in the old hospital and first night shift in the new one.
Reflecting on her career so far Mrs Weir said staff get out what they put in.
“Ask questions. Keep asking until it makes sense. Learn from everyone around you and work as a team,” she said.
“If you don’t work as a team it doesn’t really happen.”
Last year, MDHS presented 29 service awards to recognise staff milestones from 10 years to Mrs Weir at 45 years of service.