大象传媒

When we went on the ward, the Sister would have made a list of what our duties were. Usually either the Sister or Staff Nurse would take a Junior and, depending on what ward you were on, she would show you different procedures, for instance, giving an injection, that sort of thing. You were instructed by one of the senior staff and then when they thought you were proficient they would say 鈥渞ight, you can do it today鈥�.

We had very large Orthop忙dic Wards. If you were on the Orthop忙dic Ward you had to be taught how to prepare the patients for theatre. They were very particular in my day. We used to have to do a preparation the night before and a preparation on the morning. You had to clean-up the skin, either meth or iodine the night before, repeated next morning. If your preparation for the patient wasn鈥檛 right, you鈥檇 get 鈥渟ent for鈥� to go down to theatre and be told that it wasn鈥檛 quite right. Usually the Sister or Staff Nurse would have a look if you were a bit of a novice to see if you were on the right lines.

We often had osteomyelitis patients with reeking plasters, I remember when the plaster was removed the limb was covered with pus and maggots. On washing the skin it was like a babies - the wound had healed!

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Patricia Davies and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Pat's stories:

• 1) I suppose it was inevitable鈥�
• 2) Getting used to being on the wards
• 3) The unchanging rota
• 5) The Miners
• 6) Keeping coffee warm in the sterilizer
• 7) Mouth gags and tongue clips
• 8) Dear Flower Girl
• 9) Theatres
• 10) The Nurse鈥檚 Home
• 11) The 鈥楪uinea Pig Club鈥�
• 12) Mice in the washing and other tricks
• 13) Enamel washbowls on your heads
• 14) Extra Work
• 15) Shake and Shake鈥�
• 16) Little Nurse
• 17) A lot of things were introduced during the War
• 18) Only two nights off
• 19) Making and Breaking
• 20) My little bucket and I
• My visit to post-War Germany

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