e-Muster August 2012 - Central Coast Family History Society Inc.

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Page Page No: No: 19 Journal of the Central Coast Family History Society Inc. NURSING IN THE 1930s I recorded much of Mum’s oral history some years ago and thought some of you might enjoy her quirky nursing tales. Much of it is written in her ‘voice’ as she related it to me. My mother Dorothy Mary Chappell was born in 1914 and in 1932 she undertook nursing training in The Princess Elizabeth of York Hospital in Shadwell, London, England. Nursing was so different then and bears little resemblance to many of the nursing practices today. There was no technology to speak of and no antibiotics to fight infection. The focus of care was mainly on prevention rather than cure I think. Surgical gloves were only worn in the operating theatres and were quite clumsy compared to the surgical gloves today. They weren’t worn for ward work at all. We had to scrub our hands with a nailbrush and soap and then soak them in Perchloride of Mercury. This was meant to ensure some degree of sterility but it did nothing for your hands I can tell you. “Our uniforms were long blue and white striped dresses with a stiff starched collar, attached to the dress with a collar stud. The continual washing and starching made the edges of these collars like a razor blade. We rubbed soap on them to prevent our necks chafing but I always had a red mark there when I got changed. The dresses also had long sleeves with detachable stiff starched cuffs. We took them off when we were working and our rolled up sleeves were covered with a sort of frill so it all looked neat and tidy. We also wore big white starched aprons and starched hats to complete the outfit. We weren’t paid until we qualified and even then the wages were very poor. We had to pay for training, uniform, books and accommodation. We all had to live in the Nurses Home with a great many restrictions and a lot of supervision. There were no separate study blocks and we often had to attend lectures after coming off night duty. We worked very long hours and there were no parttime positions at all. We had to work six weeks of night duty at a stretch with only a day and a night off at the end of it before resuming day duty. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life. Mum undertook her midwifery training in The British Hospital for Mothers The Muster – August ugust 2012 2012
The Muster – August 20 2012 20 12 Journal of the Central Coast Family History Society Inc. and Babies in Woolwich, London where she remained on staff for a number of years. This was a maternity hospital in Samuel Street, Woolwich and was created from the amalgamation in 1915 of the Home for Mothers and Babies (established 1905) with the British Lying-In Hospital, Holborn. In 1922 Queen Mary officially opened the hospital's new buildings. Part of our midwifery training was done in the community and we had a sister who supervised our work. We went out on bicycles both night and day to deliver babies in the home and this could be quite an education in itself. My area covered the Woolwich docks and I often had to deliver a baby in the middle of a great big flea-ridden, feather bed. Bed bugs were also abundant and in some places there were bugs dropping down from the ceiling as well. When we returned to the hospitals from these deliveries we had to go through a back entrance into a basement, strip off and clean up before going back into the main hospital. Families often offered us a cup of tea when the delivery was over. Sister Kard my supervisor said we should always accept this hospitality so I drank with my left hand because I thought that side of the cup might be a bit cleaner. One day I was in a particularly filthy house and the new mother beamed at me from her bed and said ‘…cor nurse, you’re just like me drinking out that side of the cup’!!! I think it’s a good thing that nursing has changed in so many ways and looking back we had to be so particular over really silly things. Sister would inspect the ward and if one bed was a few inches out of line with another we were ticked off. The corners of the bedspreads had to be perfect and woe betide you if a patient had put a wrinkle in the bedding before ward round!” The working conditions for nurses continued to improve over the years and my mother continued her nursing career as a Health Visitor until she retired in 1975 Carolyn Elwin – Member 1729 Page No: 20 20
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