PART ONE MATERNITY TRAINING and District Nursing

Whilst on complete bed rest I had a lot of time to think about my future so with a couple of friends Sally and Amy we applied to Beckenham Maternity Hospital for training to become mid-wives.

We were all accepted and spent year training for our part one midwifery certificate.

 It was compulsory that students delivered 100 babies and I did but I could not get the feel of achievement that I got when nursing sick people. During our year in Beckenham we managed to find accommodation in a very respectable detached house with all of us having our own bedrooms and complete use of all the commodities in the residence.  The house was owned by a single lady who spent a lot of time on the Continent and she allowed us the use of it for a minimal rent in return for us keeping an eye on the property. My two friends went on to do part two and proceeded on a career of midwifery but I decided to do District Nurse training which meant learning how to look after patients in their own homes.

Once I had received my training I returned to Hastings and as relief nurse I had to learn every area from the Bexhill border as far as Ecclesbourne Glen Fairlight. This was challenging but enjoyable because when you knocked on a client’s door one had no idea what condition or crisis would confront you! Of course my car was now an essential piece of equipment to enable me to access all my different ports of call.

I can remember one morning I did my diabetic visits first and had an urgent call to a lady who needed help with her bowels. I had just completed the procedure and got her onto a commode when I realised I had forgotten a patient needing insulin before breakfast so saying I would only be ten minutes I jumped into my car sped to the lady and with many apologies gave the injection. Anxious to get back to my previous patient ensconced on the commode I failed to notice I was doing more speed than I should in a 30 mile an hour limit zone and was suddenly stopped by a police patrol man. Inspiration came to me and I quickly explained the situation saying what had happened and that my first patient was waiting to be rescued from her commode? I will never know if he really believed me as I am sure he had never heard an excuse for speeding like mine before but he put his black note book away and waved me on! Hope it was my uniform that convinced him!

Part 2: Continuing Big Responsibilities

When it came to prescribing drugs I or other trained staff always had to check dosages on patient’s charts in case they had been worked out incorrectly and in many instances if left as prescribed would have caused catastrophic results. Trained nurses in these times often found themselves being stand-in doctors and having to develop observations and treatment to their peers. What with the heavy responsibilities and volume of work very spasmodic eating hours and supporting my aging parents at the same time who were now in their late seventies my body weight began to drop but luckily by the end of my year as temporary Sister I was able to pass the ward back to its original Sister.

I now weighed just five stone taking a size eight in clothes and was diagnosed with the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. I really do have great sympathy with people who suffer from this condition as it can happen without one realising. I was very fortunate indeed to have a good psychotherapist and was able to return to full nursing duties after receiving two months of treatment which consisted of bed rest daily insulin injections and counselling. Whilst receiving this treatment in hospital my father who already had a heart condition died suddenly in bed at home but by then I was well enough to participate in his funeral arrangements.

My spell of Anorexia was attributed to trying to cope with too much responsibility as acting sister too early after registration and added to this having the liability of my parent’s who relied heavily on me especially as I lived at home.

Anorexia is to this day still very prevalent in young people and in times of excess stress. I can sympathise entirely with those people who suffer from this condition but with good medical support it can be overcome therefore it is important that the signs and symptoms are recognised early and treatment commenced.

A LITTLE SOCIAL LIFE PRIOR TO BIG RESPONSIBILITIES

Although work was very hectic we did try and arrange some after hour’s entertainment which usually meant partying in the Doctors quarters as they had a house to themselves. These sessions for those of us not on call usually went on until the early hours of the morning which for me wasn’t worth going home so went straight back to the ward. It has been known that I have had to be treated with the hair of the dog in the ward kitchen!!!

We also had an active Nurses Social Club and arranged weekends in France and Holland. Mac who I had not long met asked if he could accompany me on a weekend to Amsterdam so I asked the social Secretary and she added him to the list to join me. Thinking we would have a room together at our hotel we were both soon disillusioned because Mac was paired off with a gay nurse and I was paired with an elderly spinster nurse. We were however able to explore Amsterdam together and I can remember our coach stopping in a square surrounded with little shops so Mac and I went off to explore them but when I realised they were all sex shops I dashed back to the coach and left him to enjoy.

One day I was summoned to Matrons Office only one year after being given the post of staff nurse on the male surgical ward and eighteen months of being trained to be informed that Sister was going to Africa for a year to do missionary work and I was to be totally in charge of the Male surgical ward during this time. In addition to all this extra responsibility there was a big shortage of house doctors from our own Country so we had to rely on those from other Countries who had great problems with our language.

WARD FIVE MALE SURGICAL AND FOUR WHEELS

By this time I had left the Orthopaedic ward and was given a post of Staff Nurse on the Male surgical ward (Men again) this ward had 26 beds and besides patients requiring operations we admitted all surgical trauma cases that would nowadays go to intensive care. I would make two bed spaces into one and make room for all the resuscitation equipment that was required. Working hours were often long as patients lives depended on dedicated staff and more times than I can remember there was no relief at the time we were due off duty. As Staff Nurse I was often needed to escort seriously injured patients to London and Stoke Mandeville

Hospitals sometimes by helicopter. If it was by ambulance then I was assured of a lift back to Hastings but if it was by air I would have to find my own way home by train or bus which was probably way past midnight with no buses to take me home.

These occasions made it essential for me to have a car so when one of my patients by the name of Jack offered to give me some driving practice in his car I readily accepted and then he advised me on buying a small car of my own. I chose an aged pea green two door Austin which after buying it for £169 found it leaked badly however as long as I had a qualified driver with me I had my own wheels to practice in.

I passed after my second driving test and then had no more travel problems except when I decided to clean the carburettor myself and then couldn’t put it back together again. I must say throughout my life I have always been able to access gentlemen to help me out and on this occasion a local garage owner called Stan came to my rescue and was always there when I needed him. When he became very ill in hospital with cancer I used to drive his partner to see him, so in a way I hope he knew I reciprocated his kindness.

LIVING AT HOME AGAIN WITH WHEELS TO TRAVEL

After three years and three months of living in the Nurses Home Quarters I was now allowed to live out. A fellow colleague suggested we share a flat in Hastings but I had to get permission first from Matron who in her wisdom decided my companion was unsuitable and wrote to my Mother to inform her and give her reasons, bearing in mind I was now 24 years of age!

If I decided to return home to Fairlight to live with Mum and Dad I now had the worry of travel as my home was seven miles from Hastings. My friend Sally also had transport problems so bought a Lambretta Scooter so not to be outdone I decided on a Norman Nippy motor cycle mainly because it was half the price of a scooter. During all my training period I only received a monthly salary of £8.00.  

Which gave me no opportunity to save as we had to supply all our own textbooks, files, paper, black shoes and stockings etc? However I bought the motor cycle complete with crash helmet on monthly instalments and was now mobile with daily transport to and from work.

One morning on my way to work on my motor cycle I ran over a six inch nail which went into my front tyre. I completely lost control and aimed for the hedges which unfortunately for me was a blackthorn and disappeared into it head first. Before I had time to think how I would extricate myself I felt my legs being pulled and a postman who was passing at the time got me out into an upright position again! Of course I could not ride my bike so had to push it four miles to a garage and leave it there to be mended and catch a bus to work. When I eventually arrived very late my patients had a great time picking thorns out of every visible part of me mainly face arms and hands, I certainly received some teasing that day?

I think it was this occurrence that made me decide to learn to drive so I had a course of driving lessons with BSM