Gone but Not Forgotten

[wilfb]

But there seems a significant change of someone's view of the student role though - to my simple mind there is perhaps a significant difference between being a student of nursing and actually being...

Don't let me detract from the super discussion - But please, no swearing! 'Bloody' refers to blood, not one's personal feelings. Matron told me so personally in her office.!!. 

Anyone old enough to remember stone hot water bottles?

[backman]

 Glass,Stonewear,Rubber,Stainless steel until eventually plastic replaced most things.I believe our carbon footprint was far smaller in those days! We recycled because we had to.
Senior nurses were there to provide effective management and be a role model to all.They were respected and sometimes feared,but only if you stepped out of line.I still remember running whilst late to be told that Fire and Cardiac Arrest were the only reasons for a nurse to run in uniform,otherwise we should hasten!
Bad language was extremely rare and the occasional bloody or b***er would have had everyone looking.Not like today I'm afraid!
I am unsure what sort of nurses we will produce for future generations I just hope that they still care,I wonder if they will look back on their training days as fondly as we do?

[nursesue]

pupil and cadet nurses - lets not forget the demise of the SEN
case studies ( not referenced essays in my day)
petersham belts with either silver or brass buckle depending on qualification
The General  Nursing Council
one fee upon qualifying
Unions such as NUPE & COHSE
The thrill of getting your state badge and hospital badges when you qualified and being handed the drugs keys and being left to get on with it - a sink or swim method of mentoring. At least thats one area thats improved
sue :-*

[Odysseus]

Does any one recall 'Black draught' (How could anyone forget!)?

But what was 'White Mixture' - Mag trisil maybe?

[artwill]

Does anyone remember the Herculean Bowel Prep!

[backman]

 Wellington boots anyone? I remenber the adage High,hot and hell of a lot.

[backman]

Have been reading an excellent little volume of reminiscences "Patients Cme First" by Margaret  E Broadley who was nursing at the London hospital between the two world wars.Whilst recognising that my own experiences are far later,there are still some comminalities,such as urine tesing being rather more like a science experiment than a quick dip of a test stick.Well worth a read if you can find a copy.

[wilfb]

Hi,

Now that one took me back a few years.  Urine testing without dip sticks!! Wasn't it just!  Many moons ago I was a Hospital Cadet doing my three months in the path lab. We were all alloted to basic urine testing - with our own bench, test tubes in wooden racks, bunsen burner, and for some tests (albumen for example) simple chemicals (acetic acid), litmus papers, access to a centrifuge....  And about 20 or so specimen jars full of smelly urine daily. But we were very conscientious about getting it right... We were trusted - and that mattered.

Volume; Ph; specific gravity; colour; clear/coudy; odour; blood; foreign material; acetone; glucose etc etc - all before brewing the lab staff teas for 10 am... Those were the days of real science - and odourus tea-breaks! Though I don't recall missing them!

W.

[nursesue]

how about the weekend cleaning?? We used to clean the old stainless steel sluice masher until it shone - think we used methylated spirits ( minus gloves, masks, COSHH regs and the H&S MOB!!). Back to dipping urines - was it glucose that was tested in a test tube?1 tab 5drops urine and  5 drops water. You couldn't hold the tube cos the chemical reaction made it too hot to handle. Also think ketones was a drop of urine on a small white tablet that went various shades of lilac(??) to denote quantity of ketones present. ::)

[Odysseus]

Weekend cleaning was probably designed to keep students away from the visitors! But the urinalysis - I remember that we could only use Ames Company (Clinitest etc people) test tubes becuase, we were told, other makes of TTube could give false results (maybe didn't get as hot).

Lilac Acetest tabs - same colour as midwifery student uniforms in a strong positive result. Not good news for the diabetic patient though.  The patient's breath also smelled of acetone too if ketones were at a high level - almost as good as the acetest.

:)

[backman]

 Talking of Urine testing,does anyone remember the joke played upon students where staff would demonstrate the technique of dipping a finger in the urine and then licking the finger to diagnose suger in the wee? The secret was of course to remember to lick a different finger than the one that was put into the urine! I saw a similar trick with night sister dipping a finger into a vomit bowl( the substance was in fact cold minestrone soup but the student didn't know that)
All such behaviour would be strictly non PC today,not sure about sending students to theatre for a long stand or a fallopian tube though?