70s Nursing Blog

[malenurse]

If anyone is interested, I've started a blog around my experiences in nursing during the 1970s. If you have any spare time have a look.  Its early days but  I'd welcome any comments. its here.

http://www.charlieharden.co.uk

Cheers

Charlie

[wilfb]

Hello Charlie,

I don't want to be a damp squib, and please don't take offence, but why not just continue to post your experiences right here - that's what we are about?

WB.

[malenurse]

None taken. I was conscious that this was a forum for nurse education and allthough my blog does cover my student days it will also move into other less relevant areas as I describe my trained nurse & managment years. I have a lot to say about these areas later on & I didnt want to clog up the forum with stuff which may well bore people stupid.

Ch

[Eastlodge]

I am so glad I did my training when I did. It was practical, fundamental and down-to-earth. Whereas today, it appears an academic pursuit wherein the patient (yes – patient!), gets lost in the syllabus. It is a training ground for managerial skills as opposed to an arena, which focuses on the principles of grass roots caring.

Okay – change we must (I suppose), this, as they say, is mental healthcare 21K. Well, this lad wants no part of it. You can throw all you at me – "has been", "out of touch" "old f**t" – it makes no difference. I am all for progress as long as progress means improvement; I am all for change as long as change means a 'change for the better'. Actually, I am in touch, I am quite aware of psychiatry 2007! Personally, I just do not like it.

I loved my training and by golly I used to love the job. Now, I wouldn't go back for all the tea in China; quite frankly I do not fit the mould anymore.
1975 – 1978 represented some of the best years of my life – it was hard, relentless and exacting, but fun, the atmosphere was amazing – generally speaking.
True – you cannot live in the past, here we are and onwards we go – but you can look back and say – "that was the best".

[eric]

First, malenurse, I for one would not be bored with your discussing your trained nurse days nor indeed your management days. In fact I'd love to hear about them. The more people talk and reminisence takes place the more likely that people will be stimulated to actually writing articles. If everyone thats a member (active or just larker) wrote their experiences, the better the chance that it could be basis for a good play or article. So Write my friend (hope you don't mind my calling you friends; as I look on everyone involved in both these sites as friends). I really DO want to hear about your experiences, good, bad, comical and not so comical.

Second Eastlodge, to a large extent I agree with you. We look back and say it was better back then. Less PC (political correctness), less H + S (health + safety) consciousness, etc, which I think its now got to be totally silly stage. (does anyone agree with me??).  Patients were cared for, they felt they belonged, a place of refuse (aslyum) but then again, less chioce. Clothes they (and staff) wore were the same. Everyone outside knew they were patients (or staff) by clothes woren.
I shouldn't say this but I remember bathing 45 patients and my record was 56 minutes for all 45 patients. As old saying goes, ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies (remember could be managers reading this).
Patients were in hospital for longer, nowadays its get them out quickly (this from last Conservative goverment and carried on by Labour). Money was to follow patients but in reality money never ever matched need. (anyone agree or disagree????)
As a nurse I do look back with kind thoughts but am also glad to be nursing now. Remember today is tomorrow's history and we are currently living it. Ah it exciting!!
All this and Peters + Wilf web sites to discuss all this. Wow! I'm excited.
This also reminds me if space could be allowed for people to put their pictures of their nursing experiences onboard. I personally don't have any (sorry to say) but I bet others do.
Looking at those web sites Peter mentions and seeing poor state of closed down wards. Surely must be pictures of these wards in their glory days, active, alive and full of life + energy. Sounds like basis for yet another book eh!!

[pennie]

thats very good time to bath all those patients!!!  Put a chair at the end of the bath, legs over, grab under arms and slide in!! Who needs a silly hoist??? While doing Mental we used to line up the patients in the loo and shave them all in a line- a bit like Sweeny Todd!!! But , although things were not (quite) perfect, at least there was a safe and secure place for these patients to live with it's own library, swimming pool, shop (to but the fags) a visiting shop for crimplene dresses and the workshops where we made knickers in cans and pot piggy banks. As we were isolated on the edge of Dartmoor we made our own (riotous) entertainment in the nurses social club where drinks (copious amounts) could be bought very very cheaply!!!!
Oh I am so glad I found this site-happy days!!