Resuscitation Status?

[backman]

 Just a brief post to try and resuscitate discussion and debate on our Forum pages? It has been notoriously quiet of late and I must take some responsibility as there just never seems to be enough time to share thoughts in between living our lives! I would hate to see us loose this resource so how should we apply the Defib pads to bring it back to life?
What burning issues are there in the world of Nursing History and badge collecting.Is it in good condition or are we all just in a Brexit like slump? Any events or new sites celebrating nursing or medical history.Any new(or old) book reviews? Random thoughts or recollections of Nursing as it was, is or will be.
I may kick off a thread on Nursing Humour and practical jokes(something that seems to have become somewhat of a rarity in todays health service?)

[barrysutton]

I recently went to a talk at the University of Chester on Nursing Education over the last 100yrs and whilst there visited the Medical/Nursing/Social Work museum they now have at there Riverside Campus in Chester.

[backman]

Can you recommend it Barry? I keep meaning to visit the museum at the Royal Worcester Infirmary, but haven't yet made it.

[wilfb]

Hi.

And yes, things are a little quiet around this time of the year, but perhaps some of that is due to the impending/university holidays.  We seem to pick up a lot of traffic in term time, especially in the periods associated with dissertation/thesis writing.  But of course that is only a small factor, as we get a fair number of visitors every week - between two and a half to three thousand every week right now.

Around 14 thousand (14,011) people visited during the last month. Perhaps one of the ways I could help would be to add visitor numbers to the home page? If only to indicate that we are not dead/dying!!

But overall numbers do not really cause personal anxiety - it is the lack of interaction on the forum that could perhaps use a bit of defib! For that I too must bear some responsibility. Believe me, I do examine various ways to try overcome this - so far not very successfully.  Perhaps nursing history is simply not a popular sport...

But the site in general is alive and well - considering also that we do not accept advertising and spend more that a little time keeping it secure and available completely free of charge.

But yes, more discussion/debate would be very welcome - all suggestions are welcome - how about nurse hair-colour for starters?!

Will.

[backman]

Not hair colour but vaguely hair related.I worked with an African agency nurse in the 80s ,in the age when caps were still part of the female nursing uniform.Not usually a problem but this lady had a shaved head which made this rather impractical.The sister insisted that she would be improperly dressed without a ridiculous paper cap.Attempts to keep one on her head with sellotape proved rather ineffective so she was given dispensation to go without! You know what it didn't make her any less effective as a nurse.

[myk1066]

Sounds like a little common sense would have been more appropriate regarding the cap.  I still think a traditional uniform is far more smarter than what is out there today.

[wilfb]

Well yes,

But I was thinking more of this midwife when I posted:-

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-47777302

Trust the link works ok...

Will.

[myk1066]

I know of a nurse who dyes her hair various colours & she was told it was inappropriate so she wore a wig!

[wilfb]

Nice one Myk,

And so simple... but I am left wondering if the powers that be had not thought of that...?

Will.

[nursesue]

thought I'd be different and do a book review I recently came across "Hospital" by Polly Toynbee - albeit a rather battered and well read book ( I do believe it's now out of print)
Set in the 1970s it's a 5 month observation of the London Hospital by the author who was allowed unlimited access
It's a history of time of nursing and a large hospital where Sister ruled with a rod of iron -  it's not all facts and figures but the day to day life of a living breathing hospital There are some facts such as its costs £14.25 million a year to run and employs 900 nurses, 125 consultants, 900 doctors and 2000 ancillary staff
Each chapter chronicles a stage of life from chapter 1 birth - chapter 8 old age and various chapters on patients, nurse and casualty
Well worth a read even for those of us who trained in the 70s as it brings back happy memories of a bygone age
so grab a copy and enjoy a read

[Sarah Rogers]

I've still got my copy of Toynbee's book :) The  museum at Chester is excellent, last year's UKAHN colloquium was held at the university.

[backman]

Just finished reading"Nursing in Liverpool since 1862" by Meg Parkes and Sally Sheard. An interesting little book that gives a background to Liverpools Training schools. Reasonably priced copies available on eBay and Amazon.
Just taken delivery of "Images of the Past, The District Nurse,A Pictorial History" by Susan Cohen.Looks interesting with a variety of illustrations including a picture of the Lady Ismay badge for the Birkenhead District Nursing Service(I want one!!)

[barrysutton]

So you've discovered another badge I require for my Cheshire Collection.

[backman]

Yes Barry,although I suspect it may prove elusive! The Ismay family are of course more noted for their association with a certain large ship and an iceberg?

[barrysutton]

I do have a Birkenhead Children Hospital badge so an early Distict nurses badge should be a doodle.