The 66-year-old, known as "Kingi'' to colleagues, celebrated 50 years in nursing with morning tea at the hospital on Wednesday.
"I think that the older people have got more go than the younger ones, to be quite honest,'' she said.
"I think we just keep going.''
But it goes both ways: the job had become computer-based, and younger nurses kept her in touch with changing technology, she said.
Ms King's first job was as a nurse aide at the former Mosgiel maternity home, a job she started in December 1965.
Her formal nursing training began a few months later, in April 1966.
Her first Dunedin Hospital job was as a neurosurgical nurse, a role she "loved'' but relinquished when her daughter was born.
Returning after the birth, she worked night shift, as putting children into day-care was not the norm at that time.
That meant working with general patients, rather than in a particular specialty.
When she moved back to day shifts, Ms King worked in the ear, nose and throat department as a theatre nurse.
She works full-time, and has no plans to retire.
"I love my job, I love the people I work with. We're like one big family.''
