Nurse Di Adams is putting her feet up after dedicating her working life to helping others.

Mrs Adams has been a nurse in Brighton for 45 years but is retiring at the age of 62.

She has seen major changes in the decades since she started out as a student nurse at Brighton General Hospital in 1957.

She gained experience working in Brighton hospitals during the Sixties before moving on to the intensive care unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in 1975, where she has worked ever since.

Things were very different when Mrs Adams started on the wards.

She said: "They used to have coal fires on all the wards, which always had to be kept going during the day.

"But at night, they were supposed to be left to cool so the cleaners could clear them out in the mornings.

"But if you were on night duty you would get cold so you would keep the fire going. In the morning, the cleaners would moan about burning their fingers as they tried to clear the fires out."

Uniforms were more complicated, with nurses wearing hats, collars and aprons, which had to be kept starched and clean at all times.

And attitudes towards senior staff have changed.

Mrs Adams said: "Years ago, if a sister walked into the dining room, you had to stand up but you wouldn't see that happen now.

"Everything was a lot stricter. You had to be back in the nurses' home by 10pm every night and lights were out at 10.30pm, although there were a few who would manage to sneak in late."

The most fundamental change has been the rapid advances in technology, medicines and treatments.

In 1975, the eight beds in the intensive care unit did not have the monitors, pumps and specialist equipment seen today.

Mrs Adams said: "It was a lot more bare and the pressure for beds was not as high as it is today.

"Nowadays, there are 17 beds and there is always somebody waiting for a place. It is a lot busier than it was.

"The technology is wonderful now because we are able to treat patients so much better and they are living longer."

Today's plastic disposable syringes and tubes are another innovation which have improved nurses' lives.

When Mrs Adams started out, nurses had to boil, clean and scrub the equipment.

She said: "I remember the catheter bottles were made of glass, which used to lead to a few accidents."

The one thing that hasn't changed is the dedication and hard work of the intensive care unit team.

Mrs Adams said: "People are very caring and always do everything in their power to help.

"I will be sorry to leave the team as I have always loved the job. I have always enjoyed helping and looking after others.

"As well as the patient, you have to take care of the family as well. People in the unit are usually very unwell and so their relatives are going through a stressful time."

Mrs Adams, of Woodview Close, Brighton, plans to spend more time with her husband Leslie and her four grandchildren.

But she won't be relaxing for too long.

She said: "It will be nice to have a lie-in and take things easy for a while but eventually I'm hoping to go back to the hospital as a volunteer and help out when I can."