After a remarkable 45 years of service, Karin Manteuffel, a nurse in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Portage Hospital has announced her retirement.
During her length of service, Manteuffel has seen many changes at Porter. “Back then you either became a nurse, a teacher or a secretary,” she shared. “I didn’t like to cook so I went into nursing. Plus I come from a family of nurses – my mother was a nurse, as well as my sisters.” Manteuffel started at Porter on Oct. 28, 1968, in the medical unit. “When I first started, there were two nurses who had bachelor’s degrees, including myself, and the director of nursing had her master’s. Every other nurse went through hospital training programs.”
Reflecting back on her career, Manteuffel credits her co-workers for her longevity. “Nurses share a friendship that is always there,” she said. “We have a bond that keeps us together, no matter what. It’s a second family – everyone pitches in and helps each other out.”
Manteuffel may be retiring from her current position, but that will not slow her down. “I’m not leaving people, I’m leaving the work,” she said. “I’ve put in an application to be a Porter volunteer, at the Portage campus, after I travel for a bit.”
