Post 96 My '1980s experience as a student nurse'

 I started my nurse training at Park Hospital, Davyhulme in August 1985. It was not quite the days of Matron, aprons, starched hats and silver belt buckles - although the latter two were holding out in some quarters. It was still very hierarchical but informality was beginning to replace the rigid structure of old. It was into this mixture of styles that I undertook my first steps on the wards.

Nursing had always been a very hierarchical profession; Ward Sister ruling her fiefdom with a rod of iron. As a student I was in the Training School for a period of six weeks before venturing onto the wards. One’s first day on the wards was always a scary time; the rumours of strict discipline, exacting standards and hard work filled us with dread. The first shift always started the same way. I would be looking out for another student to show me around the ward and after ten minutes of rushed introductions it was time for the meeting with the ward sister in her office. I remember standing in front of her desk as she took her seat and looked me up and down. There was never an offer of a seat or a cup of tea. There was a short discussion about the nature of the ward speciality and what she expected of us was usually all we got before the “You may now go about your duties” and I was back on the ward.

Students tended to stick together, usually by year group. First year students were shown tasks by more senior students. The permanent, trained staff tended to give instruction to the third year students and this was then cascaded to us all. We were not allowed to use first names on the ward, so it was always “Nurse Smith, can you help me with this dressing?” There was also an invisible barrier between the trained staff and the students. Unless we were spoken to or invited to join in a conversation we never really mixed, although this was relaxed a little bit when we got into our third year. There were some notable exceptions but initially there was a definite separation.

Ward rounds were one of the more memorable events during the week. Each consultant had a fixed day

when they would visit the ward and personally review each of their patients. It wasn’t quite as simple as just wandering round and chatting to the patient – there was a huge routine that went on beforehand. Every patient was instructed to sit in their bed or on their chair and the bed was made afresh. Patient’s lockers and tables were tidied; loose newspapers and magazines were hidden out of sight, rubbish bags were emptied and everything was inspected by the Ward Sister. No visitors were allowed and patients had to remain by their bed side. Going to the day room or leaving the ward was forbidden. Televisions and radios were switched off and at the appointed time, the doors to the ward were opened and the Consultant and Ward Sister walked onto the ward with the Registrar pushing the notes trolley. Behind them came the junior doctors, qualified nurses and bringing up the rear were the students, as always in order of seniority. Questions were asked by the consultant to the junior staff and points of interest were explained. As a formal method of teaching it remained unchanged for many years. During the ward round there was to be absolutely no noise and many students were sent to clean in the sluice – polishing the stainless steel bed pans was a common task. They seemed to develop a remarkable slipperiness during the ward round and made an impressive but very unwelcome noise when dropped. If that happened, one of the nurses would detach herself from the entourage and burst into the sluice, hissing furiously that sister wanted to see us all later

There was also a specific ritual to be kept as the ward round came to an end. Each ward had a ‘ward round tea set’. The china tea pot and matching crockery were brought in on a tray by one of the students. The tray was always set with a paper doily. This was all placed on Sister’s desk with a plate of biscuits. Some consultants would have an even more specific routine. Being allocated to one of the medical wards at Altrincham General Hospital meant I was sent once a week to the local market for Dr. Pengelly’s ‘Special Biscuits’. For some reason, lost in the mists of time one of the market traders, perhaps a grateful patient, had ensured that Dr. Pengelly had cream biscuits after every ward round and it was the most junior student’s job to see that these were ready on Sister’s desk before the ward round was finished.

These days there are no set ward rounds, white coats and ties have been sacrificed on the altar of infection control, first names are routinely used and there’s very little ‘us and them’. It makes for a more informal working environment. Staff are emboldened to ask questions, rather than cowering in the background hoping not to be noticed.  Is it better nowadays? I’m not really sure, but one thing I will miss is stealing some of Dr. P’s biscuits each week!

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there” L. R. Hartley’s words were written well before I started nursing but looking back over the last 40 years they are definitely accurate.

This story was submitted by James Hutton a Retired Registered General Nurse from Euxton, Lancashire

 

Previous