by Pastor Bob Wiebusch
Wayne Kroker, of Nundah, Queensland, is the Lutheran Nurse of the Year. Wayne was one of two Queensland nurses honoured by the Lutheran Nurses Association of Australia (LNAA) in May. Shirley Klinge, of Laidley, Queensland, was awarded LNAA Life Membership.
Wayne is employed in the Thoracic Ward at Prince Charles Hospital at Chermside in suburban Brisbane. During the coronavirus pandemic, he has provided nursing care for the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients in his ward. During the height of the COVID lockdown, Wayne was diagnosed with cancer. After a break for treatment, he returned to nursing. Wayne is an active member of St Pauls Lutheran Church Nundah. He and his wife Misiel are managers of St Pauls Lodge on the church campus, where units are rented at reduced rates to people in need.
After completing four years of nursing training at Dalby General Hospital, in Queensland, Shirley Klinge moved to Mt Isa. She first worked at the Mt Isa Base Hospital, then served as director of St Paul’s Lutheran Child Care Centre.
Returning to Dalby, Shirley worked in ICU there for five years, then in 1983, she was appointed director of nursing at Tabeel at Laidley Lutheran aged care.
From 1998 until September 2020, Shirley served as part-time parish nurse at Redeemer Lutheran Church Laidley. She was also a pastoral care nurse at Faith Lutheran College, Plainland.
Not a subscriber? Click here to receive stories & upcoming issues in full
