Jordan Beck | Daily Press Shirley Dufresne, a registered nurse at Christian Park Health Care Center, gets ready to give medication to the center’s residents. Dufresne, who recently turned 80 years old, celebrated her 10th anniversary as a registered nurse at Christian Park Health Care Center last month.

ESCANABA — While she recently turned 80 years old, Shirley Dufresne has continued to help people in the area. She celebrated her 10th anniversary as a registered nurse at Christian Park Health Care Center last month.

According to Dufresne, she had been retired until her husband, Ken Dufresne, passed away in March 2006. After this happened, she began looking for work once again.

“I started at Walmart, and I saw there was an opening here,” Dufresne said. She started working at Christian Park Health Care Center in 2008.

The health care center primarily provides skilled nursing services to senior citizens, among other people.

“Mostly, it’s your older residents,” Dufresne said.

At Christian Park Health Care Center, Dufresne said she typically comes into work at about 3 p.m. and leaves at 11:30 p.m.

“I usually help pass medication,” she said. Dufresne works three or four days each week on average.

Dufresne’s favorite part of her job is spending time with the residents of Christian Park Health Care Center.

“I love the residents … I know all the residents, and they know me,” she said. “They call me ‘Grandma.'”

She also enjoys the company of her coworkers.

“(The) staff is wonderful to work with,” Dufresne said.

Dufresne said she had experience as a nurse well before she started working at Christian Park Health Care Center.

“I graduated from nursing school back in ’59,” she said.

Since graduating, Dufresne has worked at a variety of medical facilities in the area.

“I have worked on and off ever since,” she said. Along with Christian Park Health Care Center, Dufresne has worked at Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties, Doctors Park, and OSF HealthCare Home Health and Hospice.

Dufresne said she does not intend to retire from her current job anytime soon.

“I’m planning on keeping working as long as I can … (as) long as they’ll have me,” she said.