On June 6, 1970, Mrs Morse began her training at the Warrnambool Base Hospital and took the first steps in a career she had never dreamed of pursuing.

"I had no idea what I wanted to do and a friend of mine said 'why don't you come nursing?'," she said.

"I loved it from the day I stepped into it.

"If you had told me then that 50 years later I would still be a nurse I would've said 'no way'.

"But here I am and I've had the most amazing career and enjoyed every minute."

For a 17-year-old in 1970, the nursing industry was a world away from what it is today.

Through her career, Mrs Morse has immersed herself in a number of different medical areas including midwifery, paediatrics, school nursing, education and aged care.

"It was walking into the unknown," Mrs Morse said.

"When you started, you were working while you were training. We had lovely uniforms with aprons and starchy caps and it was all very different to what we know now."

Along the way, Mrs Morse has had a few breaks from nursing to work in book shops in Warrnambool but always found herself wanting to wear the nurse's outfit again.

The retiree was inspired to step into aged care after watching the palliative care treatment her father received at the end of his life.

"It is an amazing experience to be a part of, truly a privilege."

This year, as Warrnambool's Mercy Place celebrates 10 years since opening its doors and Mercy Health Victoria celebrates 100 years in health care, Mrs Morse is delighted to add to the celebrations with her 50-year career.

Mercy Place lifestyle coordinator Bev Stutchbury was full of praise for her retiring colleague.

"For me personally she's been a really good role model, someone to look up to and always there for advice," she said.

"Liz is an amazing woman who's achieved amazing things throughout her life.

"Residents wrote beautiful words about how much they wanted to thank Liz for her farewell card. Her door was always open for them and they could go in whenever they wanted to see her."

In her retirement, Mrs Morse is looking forward to finishing the home she and her husband are building, travelling throughout Australia and spending time with her three children and seven grandchildren.

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