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NOW TO A STORY YOU WILL SEE ONLY ON AT 6:00. A LOCAL NURSE AND TRUE NEW ORLEANS ORIGINAL IS RETIRING EXPECTIN AFTER 52 YEARS OF SERVICE. AND SHE HAD ONE HECK OF A SEND OFF. WDSU’S MORGAN LENTES IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH THE STORY THAT IS SURE TO MAKE YOU SMILE. MORGAN? YES, WE DARE YOU NOT TO SMILE WHEN YOU MEET THIS HARD-WORKING WOMAN. BUT AFTER MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY OF SERVING OTHERS, SHE SAYS SHE IS READY FOR SOME MUCH-DESERVED REST AND RELAXATION. ACQUELYN DONSEREAUX KNEW WEDNESDAY WOULD BE A PARTY. SHE JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW BIG THE CELEBRATION WOULD BE. BECAUSE IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, THE LONGTIME NURSE WAS SURROUNDED BY FORMER STUDENTS, CURRENT COLLEAGUES AND LOTS OF LOVED ONES. SHE SECOND LINED INTO RETIREMENT AT DELGADO’S KENNER CAMPUS, ENDING A 52-YEAR CAREER, CENTERED ON HELPING PEOPLE. >> WE LIVE FOR A PURPOSE AND I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD GIVE ME THE SATISFACTION THAT I HAVE TODAY. >> IT’S A BITTERSWEET MOMENT THAT ACQUELYN SAYS SHE IS READY FOR. WE ASKED HER WHAT SHE’LL DO NEXT, AND SHE JOKED ABOUT VISITING FAMILY IN VIRGINIA, BUT ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. >> SHE THINGS I AM TRYING TO STAY BUT I’VE GOT NEWS FOR HER. ANYBODY GOT WHERE THEY WANT ME TO BE? BECAUSE I CAN GO NO CLOCKS. >> OUR INTERVIEW ENDED WITH A SPECIAL SURPRISE, A PROCLOMATION FROM MAYOR LATOYA CANTRELL THANKING HER FOR HER SERVICE TO THE CITY SHE LOVES. >> THIS IS THE END OF MY JOURNEY 52 YEARS OF NURSING. I SWEAR I WOULD TAKE NOTHING OR IT. IT HAS BEEN THAT GOOD. >> ACQUELYN STARTED HER CAREER AT TOURO BEFORE TEACHING FUTURE NURSES AT SEVERAL SCHOOLS, INCLUDING DELGADO. WE ASKED WHAT ADVICE SHE WOULD GIVE TO THOSE FUTURE NURSES, AND SHE SAID ALWAYS TREAT PEOPLE BETTER THAN THEY DESERVE

Nurse retiring after more than half a century on the job

A longtime nurse has decided to retire after 52 years of service in the New Orleans area.Acquelyn Donsereaux began her career at Touro Infirmary before making the transition to teaching. Over the course of more than half of a century, Donsereaux went on to train the next generation of nurses at Sidney Collier, the Dryades YMCA and most recently, Delgado Community College.A celebration was held in her honor Tuesday at Delgado’s campus in Kenner. “I told so many friends I was retiring but never knowing who all could make it,” Donsereaux said. “(I’m) just glad beaucoup people made it.”Donsereaux was also surprised with a special proclamation from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, thanking her for her commitment to the community.”We are supposed to live our life with purpose, and I can’t think of (anything) that would give me this kind of reward,” Donsereaux said. “Fifty-two years of nursing and I swear I wouldn’t take nothing for it.”It’s a bittersweet moment that Donsereaux said she is ready for.When sister station WDSU asked her what she’ll do next, she joked about visiting family in Virginia, but only for a little while.“She thinks I’m (going to) try to stay but I got news for her, I’m going somewhere else. Turks and Caicos. Anybody got anywhere they want me to be? Cause I can be there. I don’t have nowhere to go, no clocks,” she said. WDSU asked Donsereaux what advice she would give to those future nurses, she said always treat people better than they deserve.

A longtime nurse has decided to retire after 52 years of service in the New Orleans area.

Acquelyn Donsereaux began her career at Touro Infirmary before making the transition to teaching.

Over the course of more than half of a century, Donsereaux went on to train the next generation of nurses at Sidney Collier, the Dryades YMCA and most recently, Delgado Community College.

A celebration was held in her honor Tuesday at Delgado’s campus in Kenner.

“I told so many friends I was retiring but never knowing who all could make it,” Donsereaux said. “(I’m) just glad beaucoup people made it.”

Donsereaux was also surprised with a special proclamation from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, thanking her for her commitment to the community.

“We are supposed to live our life with purpose, and I can’t think of (anything) that would give me this kind of reward,” Donsereaux said. “Fifty-two years of nursing and I swear I wouldn’t take nothing for it.”

It’s a bittersweet moment that Donsereaux said she is ready for.

When sister station WDSU asked her what she’ll do next, she joked about visiting family in Virginia, but only for a little while.

“She thinks I’m (going to) try to stay but I got news for her, I’m going somewhere else. Turks and Caicos. Anybody got anywhere they want me to be? Cause I can be there. I don’t have nowhere to go, no clocks,” she said.

WDSU asked Donsereaux what advice she would give to those future nurses, she said always treat people better than they deserve.