STAFF NURSE AT LAST

My certification

Our State Registered qualification was only obtained by passing a day’s written examination and a day of practical work at the end of three years under strict observation. I think the wait for my results was the longest of my life and I can recall a friend bringing my letter over from the Nurses Home to the ward where I was working. I can remember feeling the envelope as I had been told it would be thin if I passed and thick if I needed to re-apply! 

The relief to find It was thin and that I was now a qualified state registered nurse was almost too much to bear but the joy and realisation of my achievement soon took over and the knowing that I had many more years ahead of me to do the work that I loved so much. My feet hardly touched the ward floor all morning and what a thrill I had to receive the largest bouquet of flowers ever seen from all my patients with their congratulations.

My well worn Hospital badge

We then had to attend a presentation ceremony to receive our coveted Certificate and badge. I was so proud that my best friend Sally won the Gold Medal for our year but very sad in later years to learn that after having had such a successful career she became so psychologically distressed that she committed suicide at Beachy Head

As I was working on the male orthopaedic ward at the Royal East Sussex Hospital Hastings at the time I received my registration I was offered a post of Staff Nurse there which was a great help as I already knew the patients and procedures well. I just had to get used to organising and giving orders which I did find difficult after three years of receiving them?

Paitents who required my paitence!

Orthopaedic nursing is a little different than other acute work because once the patient had received their operation for what- ever bone related problem they were suffering from, during their recovery period apart from their immobility they felt fairly well so boredom and pranks were the order of the day especially when they knew Matron was due for her rounds!.  Ward four was a long room with parquet flooring and had beds down both sides but on Friday afternoons we would have to put up extra beds down the middle to accommodate all the motor cycle injuries that used to be admitted every week-end.

STUDENT NURSE

Looking through the job vacancies in the local paper I espied an advertisement for student nurses to start in the1956 January Hastings School of Nursing so I applied and to my great joy and amazement got an appointment to see the Matron Miss Marchant at the Royal East Sussex Hospital which was demolished some years ago and transferred to the Conquest up on the Ridge on the outskirts of Hastings.

Miss Marchant always seemed very old to me and the first time we met I was mesmerised by the lace bonnet she wore on her head which was kept on by a bow on elastic under her chin and every time she spoke the bow wobbled up and down.



After a lengthy inquisition with her and a medical examination by the staff Doctor to determine my physical fitness I was given a place in the January Preliminary Training School of Nursing (PTS) for three months intensive training and lectures.

 

Royal East Sussex Hospital (old)

I undertook this training on the understanding that I could only go on to do my three year State Registered Nurse training if I passed the necessary examination at the end of my initial three months.

With a lot of reading and reference work I did succeed in doing this first time but it was not easy returning to the class room after six years.

The next three years of student life working in the three hospitals which catered for maternity, Gynaecology, orthopaedics, general surgery, ophthalmic, Urology, General medicine and paediatrics was indeed very strenuous. It was very hard work keeping up with the lectures and educational work as well as hands on duties on the wards but so very interesting. Our Matron Miss Marchant had to be the strictest Matron of all time but I really respected her I am so indebted to her for giving me the chance to prove that I could be more than a shop assistant and helping me to find my real niche in the nursing profession. At the end of one year we had a preliminary examination to undertake before we could go on to our second year of training, if we passed we had a blue striped belt. We then had another examination at the end of our second year and on passing that got our black belt.

STAFF NURSE AT LAST (Group Photo)Our State Registered qualification was only obtained by passing a day’s written examination and a day of practical work at the end of three years under strict observation. I think the wait for my results was the longest of my life and I can recall a friend bringing my letter over from the Nurses Home to the ward where I was working. I can remember feeling the envelope as I had been told it would be thin if I passed and thick if I needed to re-apply! 

SRN Cert after of 3 years training



The relief to find It was thin and that I was now a qualified state registered nurse was almost too much to bear but the joy and realisation of my achievement soon took over and the knowing that I had many more years ahead of me to do the work that I loved so much. My feet hardly touched the ward floor all morning and what a thrill I had to receive the largest bouquet of flowers ever seen from all my patients with their congratulations.

OFFICE & SHOP WORK

After leaving my first full time job at the Market Stores, Pett Level,  I found a vacancy in a local small office that did postal orders for garlic products.

I had to keep records, typing, general office duties and parcellling/posting up bottles of tablets and jars of ointment.

I worked there for about a year until the “Garlisol Company” ceased to do business. I did also at this time attend night school at Hastings for Typing lessons which I could manage but short-hand was completely beyond my comprehension.

I am ever thankful I learned to type because since becoming IT literate the knowledge I learned then about key-boards has helped me immensely.

There were by this time no other local options for work so I found a vacancy in Hastings at the International Grocery Store in which meant travelling daily to and fro by bus. I did find my previous experience of weighing up and packaging products very useful and did enjoy my time here until the store closed down.

I soon found another vacancy for an assistant in a Grocery Store in Hastings which was owned by a married couple and I worked there until the age of 21. It was quite a long day because I had to catch a bus from home in Fairlight at 7.45 and start work at 8.30.a.m. until 6.00p.m.The Boss Man had two large dogs and used to ask me to accompany him in his three wheeled estate van on Dog Training classes after work but I soon realised that he had other things in mind therefore I was given notice to leave because I would not respond to his amorous behaviour.

My Brother worked at a Grocers Shop in Ore on the outskirts of Hastings and asked his boss to give me a job there but I found working with relatives was not a good idea and I only stayed there a short while.

The problem I now had was no academic qualifications but I knew that if I didn’t embark on a profession now I would probably spend my working life in shop work which was not going to give me the job satisfaction I craved for.

FAMILY INFO

Baby Mick on my lap

At the age of 15, I became a sort of surrogate mother as my brother’s first wife’s mental health deteriorated badly after the birth of Michael and my mother and I shared a lot of his young life.

He was quite happy to roam the fields with me, black-berrying, beach combing, and fishing these were just some of the occupations we had. Mick is always reminding me of the time we were out in the field’s black-berrying and I espied some really large berries completely out of reach and I was heard to say “How Mean”!

When I started nursing it was more difficult for me to spend as much time with Michael as I wanted but my Mum his Nan was there for him.

Once I had finished my training I earned a better salary so saved up and took him to Butlin’s holiday at Bognor Regis camp for a week’s holiday with another nurse friend and her young brother. I think he was about 12 or 13 at the time but now turned 60 still remembers it well.

After several occupations Michael and his wife now foster children who are difficult to place and I must congratulate them in doing this very exacting and unpredictable work.

They do get remuneration for doing this work but I think their main reward is seeing the progress made after providing the young people with a stable and caring home life to try and give them the encouragement and independence to improve their life style. Michael has a son and daughter Darren and Joanne from his previous marriage who both have children of their own my great great Nieces.

Butlins at Bognor Regis  1950's

My sister Edith married John whilst in the WAAF, he was in the RAF and much involved in bombing missions.

They lived in Suffolk after their demob and had two sons Don and Jim with only eleven months between them I was only twelve when Don their first born arrived so when they came to visit us it was like having two young brothers.

As they grew up they would visit us as frequently as they could but by this time their home and schools were at Crawley. One year we all joined for a holiday at Butlins. 

Don at 63 owns and runs single handed a farm-house bed and breakfast business as well as being an IT technician and Jim as a Bachelor of Science works in the business of metallurgy as a successful consultant.

Edith, John, me and the two boys Don and Jim

Don has two daughters Debby and Jo and a son James who have good working lives and Jim has two sons and a daughter Geoff, George and Alice who are doing equally well in the big wide world. I am indeed proud of my three nephews and their families and love to meet up with them when possible.