Design in history

[nursesue]

Whilst many of us cherish our hard earned School of nursing badges & many of us collect them & spend hours watching medical/nurse dramas trying to identify the badges. Have you ever wondered about the history behind the badge, who designed them and what do they mean? There are books, articles in nursing journals & websites about their history and many badges reflect the changes within the profession. I recently posted an article on the MSN nursing badge website about my favourite badges and was pursuaded to do this - so here goes and hope you enjoy.Many other professions allied to medicine(PAMs) also issue great badges and many overseas hospitals also issue them. They're not unique to UK nurses
There are so many beautiful badges, different shapes and sizes and some, to me, are more beautiful than others.  My fave badge is the RAF nurse training school  badge - and photos never do justice to the beauty and design of this badge. Its very 3 dimensional, as is the  St Andrew's Northampton badge. The RAF badge was designed by one of its trained nursing staff
The Hull Royal is beautifully  designed and the Charring Cross solid and impressive. The Worcester Royal is small and delicate. The Royal Orthopaedic, Birmingham are unpolished silver and appear different from the brightly polished silver. My Western Infirmary Glasgow is solid and heavy silver. I have to confess I find 1 or 2 other badges, somewhat ugly , but so as not to offend I won't mention any names.
Some designs reflect the speciality - for example  -  the Oxford eye hospital is designed to look like an eye (described as elliptical in the literature), which shows a lamp in the centre of a blue iris. I find this badge somewhat spooky!!!
I trained at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield ( North B/Ham) and it's  designed  to look like a dark blue maltese cross - the Midwifery badge for Good Hope Maternity Hospital is of the same design and was designed by one of its Senior Nursing Officers ( Gladys Paddock). This badge is round with the general hospital cross in the middle finding a baby held in hands. The whole emblem is placed within an outer circle so that the points of the cross don't harm a baby whilst being held by a midwife - a case of design and function. Hopefully, in the future, we'll be able to post photos on this site and then you can see what I'm trying to describe and make your own mind up as to whether a badge is beautiful or a great design.
Well that's it for tonight. I'll write some more articles for this series - which tends to be when hubby is watching the football ( which I hate with a passion!!!)
sue

[eric]

Having read your account, thought I'd share short account of how some of NI badges came into being, namely, the Northern Area Group School of Nursing. (see photo in nursingbadges site)

The Northern Area Group School of Nursing came into being in July 1975. It was made up from grouping together of all the schools spread throughout the northern area. These were located at Whiteabbey, Coleraine, Magherafelt, Antrim and Larne.
In November, 1979, a competition was launched inviting the local schools to designs for a new Group School Badge and Photographs of the Hospital Badges then in use were circulated. The Entries were submitted to the Head of the Art Department of the Ulster Polytechnic (Mr Thornton) who had agreed to act as judge. His recommendations were received at the end of April, 1980, the winning design having been submitted by Mr Gary Reynolds, a pupil of St. Comgall’s High school, Larne, who was duly awarded and later presented with a replica of the badge mounted on a wooden base as a momento of the occasion.
His design included aspects from the original hospital badges and was produced in silver with embossed silver relief and edged in green or blue enamel to denote state enrolment or state registration accordingly.

Aspects taken from the old hospital badges were incorporated into the design:-
           Whiteabbey     -    Candle
           Coleraine         -    Type of lettering
           Mid Ulster       -    The Red Hand
           Masserene       -     Shape
           Moyle              -     Cross

Photos of these can be found at               http://squirl.info/collection/show/601?page=3

[eric]

The Birth of the Eastern Area College of Nursing - Southside Badge.


Throughout the 1980’s student numbers were finding as result of Department’s manpower planning policy of trying to meet demand by only training nurses required as result of projected retirements, etc. For example in 1981 / 82 there were 1802 learners in training and in 1987 / 88 this had fallen by 43% to 1040 learners. As result of finding student numbers and rationalisation of teaching facilities in light of
introduction of Project 2000 training, it was decided to ensure that each College now provided training for at least 2 parts of the register (with the exception of Midwifery College). This meant that College of Mental Health Nursing was amalgamated with the Belfast Southern College of Nursing to become the ‘Eastern Area College of Nursing – Southside’. In addition the Belfast Northern College of Nursing was joined with the North Down College of Nursing to become the ‘ Eastern Area College of Nursing – Northside’ These changes took effect from 1st April 1990.
As a result of these amalgamations, the badges changed yet again to reflect these new identities. Indeed, some wanted to not issue any badges but the demand from nurses themselves prevailed.
I was employed at the Eastern Area College of Nursing – Southside and was one of six committee members who got together to help design this new badge to reflect new corporate identity. Members were from each of previous colleges (adult and mental health, along with college bursar). We looked at and examined many designs and gradually we finally agreed on a design, lamp in centre within a shield and surrounded by outer border. It was myself who encouraged the addition of silver at top of badge (as I had seen it in some designs sent to us from Fattorini) to give it something that was not in any of previous badges used within Northern Ireland.
These badges became available around 1992-93 and as all colleges closed down to integrate into higher education system in September 1997, they were issued for around 4 years only. Indeed could I add that it was this involvement that got me interested in collecting nursing badges. I only wish I had of started earlier when they were readily available instead of waiting until Schools closed down. Hindsight is great teacher.

[nursesue]

thanks Eric - my knowledge of Irish badges isn't the best so I do appreciate your help and article
sue

[eric]

I have just this morning met a nurse who was able to tell me about the Eastern Area College of Nursing - Northside badge and how it came to be.

A competition held in 1996 and involved designing a 'training badge' for Eastern Area college of Nursing - Northside. It was open to all Project 2000 students training at Northside. The prize was £100 and the recognition of having your design worn on nursing lapels!!

The badge was designed in 1996 by Shane Dorish (A gent from Greysteel in Derry), finding his successful entry in a competition to design the badge. It incorporates elements of the RVH, Mater and UHD training school badge designs, to reflect the amalgamation of these schools of nursing when it became 'Northside' in 1991.

Interesting who one dumps into and knowledge they have. Now we know!

[eric]

One Final badge that I'm aware of and how it came to be is the current Queen's University School of Nursing & Midwifery.

When all schools of nursing were closed on 31st August 1997, QUB became the main provider of pre-registration nursing in Northern Ireland. Initially, management did not want nursing badge as no other university school department had one, hence why should nursing be different. By this time everyone knew that I collected badges and around 1999/early 2000, I was asked if I'd design badge. Having written to Fattorini's and other badge designers, I developed / suggested around 6 different shapes for managements consideration. They then decided not to go with any of my suggestions and open it up to students to decide. I put the 6 designs to all 4 branches of nursing (general, mental health, learning disability and children's) and offered these or they could come up with their own design.
I received 875 responses from groups. Children students requested no sharp edges on badges (that eliminated 3 designs straight away); Mental Health and learning disability students were concerned about pin on rear; general students did not want any of my suggested designs and came up with the current shape (oval). After several months most students agreed on Oval round shape.

Next management insisted that colours be changed to the Queen's University colours and as the university was in process of changing their logo and colours, the 'new' badge adopted these as well. This got me involved with several departments (e.g. Communications, estates). Months later, size, shape, design, colours all were agreed and finalised. However, when I wanted to forward design to Fattorini's for producting (their reputation on enemalling + quality well established), this was overruled as had to obtain 3 different estimates for this job. Sitting in meetings listening to how others arrived at decisions was an education in itself for me. It was decided to go not to Fattorini's but the Badge Company, primarily on cost issues.

Hence how the Queen's University Badge came to be. It was an experience into developing awareness into the many and varied variables involved in producing a badge that most people can agree upon to call "their own". 12 months after Nursing badge was awarded to nurses upon qualifying, the Midwives were annoyed they were not involved and as they see themselves as different to nurses, the badge remained the same but the colour was changed to blue to represent midwifery.