The Silver Buckle: Personal Memories of a student nurse in training during the momentous 'swinging 60s in SE London

by Eira Wynn Bish

Overview

I remember:

The smell of gangrene in huge bed sores and formaldehyde to treat epilepsy Botched backyard abortions. Caring for forty patients alone on night duty as a first year nurse  The consultants round with the strict hierarchy of medical and nursing staff. The hard physical work and poor pay The community's love and respect for nurses. The lifelong friends and camaraderie. The fun and laughter along with some tears.These memories of my nurse training will stay with me forever.

'The Silver Buckle' is a personal memoir of training to be a Registered Nurse in South East London during the memorable 60s, when many rules and ideas were changing - including nursing. This was the time of mini skirts, rock 'n' roll music, young people challenging the status quo with their own music and fashion. Years of nurse training involved many other experiences too, often distressing and traumatic for an 18-year-old, such as the first death, terrible conditions, and rigid heirachy of medical and nursing personnel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780646872834
Publisher:	Eira Battaglia
Publication date:	02/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Author trained and qualified as a registered nurse in 1968 before travelling and working as a trained nurse in Canada and Australia, she worked in a variety of nursing fields, including Emergency and Paediatric nursing. In 1971 she migrated to Australia and continued nursing as a registered nurse before transferring into nursing education and completed a university Diploma in Nursing Education in 1980. She continued to be involved in nursing education in both the hospital and tertiary systems before obtaining a post graduate degree in Public Health Management. In her later nursing career she used her skills to teach medical terminology in community colleges before retiring in 2006.

Table of Contents

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

The Interview - St Giles Hospital

The Beginning - January 1965

New Experiences - New Friends

Preliminary Training School - Beds, Baths and Backs

The Real Thing

My First Death and a Memorable Holiday

Second Year and Changes

Third Year and Life outside the Nurses Home

Staff Nurse Bish and The Silver Buckle

Epilogue - Life after St Giles