Tulsa Woman Retires After 70 Years Of Nursing

A lifetime of memories are tucked away in Armenda Cann's hall closet. It is where she keeps her many photo albums that paint a picture of a life well-lived.

“Oh yes, I remember that day,” Cann said while looking at a picture of the day back in 1953 when she became a licensed practical nurse. “We all wore hats back in those days. The RNs had black stripes, the LPNs had green and the nurse's aides had blue so the patients always knew who was taking care of them at that particular time. On our graduation day, we didn't have our ribbons on our hats, so I painted me a green stripe across my hat.”

She may have graduated with her LPN license in 1953, but her work caring for others began three years earlier at St. Mary's Hospital in McAlester.

“When I started my nursing career, which was in May of 1950, a long time ago, I started as a nurse's aide between my junior and senior year of high school,” she said.

She was 17 at the time, living out a lifelong dream.

“Oh, I always wanted to be a nurse. Always. From the time I can remember as a small child. I always wanted a nursing kit for Christmas because that's what I was gonna be, I told my mom,” said Cann.

Cann’s nursing career has spanned seven decades. She spent most of it, 57 years, working in Tulsa for Springer Clinic, which is now St. Francis.

“So many things have changed in my years of nursing,” said Cann. “I lived through the polio, I was working in the hospital. Then we had the flu epidemic in, what was it? 53, 54... one of the 50s and a lot of the nurses were a little older. They all got the flu. I was the only one that worked on that medical floor that did not get the flu.”

Now she's living through COVID-19. And at 87 years old, the pandemic forced Cann to retire after working 70 years of nursing. You might call it an early retirement because Cann said she wasn’t quite ready to end her career.

“I love people,” she said. “They tell me I’m a talker. I like to lift people’s moods… caring and sharing.”

But she is staying busy in retirement by tending to her garden and organizing the many pictures that showcase her life's work.

“This is a picture when I got the employee of the month,” she said as she flipped the page in her photo album.

Cann’s documented almost everything. Every award, every anniversary, and all the other special moments in between.

“Oh and there I am with Jake Henry,” Cann said excitedly.

What you won't find in Cann’s photo albums, at least not yet, are pictures from her retirement party. Because of COVID-19, she didn't get to have one, but the hospital did send her cake, flowers, and a plaque to celebrate her lifelong service.

“Oh those flowers were so beautiful,” she said. “Hopefully we can have a party when all this is over.”

And she’s quick to say even though she’s retired, she’s not done it because a nurse’s work never really stops, especially after 70 years.

“I'll be glad when St. Francis opens up their volunteer program and I can get back to caring and sharing,” Cann said with a smile.