| 000'18" |
Mother's Stories of NursingRecalls being impressed by mother's NURSING story of sick boy not allowed fluids but just wanted 'a little tup of tea'. Recognised CARING as part of NURSING. Recounts mother's story of fear of THAMES HOSPITAL MATRON. |
| 003'15" |
SiblingsGEORGE SAMUEL, CATHERINE MURIEL, WINNIE CLARA. All had name HIGHT also. Describes relationships with siblings. Describes adult OCCUPATIONS of siblings. Grace youngest but first to leave GREAT BARRIER ISLAND at 18 years old. |
| 005'07" |
Secondary SchoolingEnrolled at CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL, WELLINGTON, from Form 1. SCHOOLING 'dissolved a bit' on GREAT BARRIER in 1940s. Disrupted by farmwork. Describes family attitudes to EDUCATION. Mentions how school shifted over some years. |
| 007'39" |
Desire to become a NurseRecalls desire for EDUCATION but needed on farm. 'But I always had in sight that I was going to be a nurse'. Describes observing nursing role model, Mrs McLEAN, first DISTRICT HEALTH NURSE at GREAT BARRIER ISLAND. Visited homes on horseback from the other end of the Island. Always well groomed. Another influence, Auntie ANNIE MEDLAND, had done some training and was known as a nurse. |
| 010'12" |
Determination to be a NurseRecalls wanting to be a nurse but feeling anxious about her level of EDUCATION. Knew she needed 'only two years’ secondary education'. Describes loving family life, religious upbringing, social activities. |
| 012'56" |
Becoming a NurseDescribes desire for EDUCATION but difficult balance FARMWORK and CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL.
Parents supported her going nursing but concerned about her leaving home. Describes the EDUCATION and work of her cousins. Gap of two years between CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL and going nursing. |
| 016'15" |
Application and InterviewMother set up interview with Miss (JESSIE) KIRKNESS, MATRON-IN-CHIEF, AUCKLAND. Recalls social and other activities on GREAT BARRIER ISLAND before leaving for NURSE TRAINING. Refers BIBLE IN SCHOOLS, SUNDAY SCHOOL, MUSIC. Recalls being influenced by a WEEKLY NEWS glossy page of NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL. Showed nurses doing lots of things 'and in uniform and looking amazing. And I wanted to be like that'. |
| 018'31" |
InterviewMentions travel to ARDMORE AIRPORT, AUCKLAND in FOX MOTH plane and places to stay in AUCKLAND. Family saw living in NURSES HOME as safe. 'I think my mother ran the interview'. MATRON IN CHIEF, MISS KIRKNESS, very formal, pleasant. Seemed to know mother's nurse cousins at TIMARU. Grace shy and aware nursing would be hard. Realised during interview that her world would change. Describes anxiety and excitement of interview and acceptance.
No recall medical examination or getting references. |
| 024'10" |
Nurses' HomeRecalls leaving GREAT BARRIER ISLAND for PRELIM(INARY) SCHOOL. Left TRYPHENA wharf on vessel COROMEL. Recalls homesickness. Describes NURSES HOME and her room (32 women in her year). Strict, quite formal but very exciting. 'A lot of busyness' on the first day. Describes becoming friends with AUDREY MITCHELL from MATAMATA and where other student nurses came from. Friend TUI MAXWELL at MIDDLEMORE not PRELIM. |
| 028'53" |
Student Placement at Auckland HospitalsEnrolled at AUCKLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING. Describes being 'placed' early on, 'told ... no choice', going to MIDDLEMORE for ward experience. Monday to Friday with tutor sisters in PRELIM, then Saturdays to MIDDLEMORE. Reflects that those sent to MIDDLEMORE were more likely to be from country, further from friends and family. Base hospitals were AUCKLAND, GREEN LANE and MIDDLEMORE. Doesn't recall Pacific nurses. Describes her special friends, AUDREY MITCHELL, DAPHNE LAWSON, FAY ? Also MERLE BLACKBURN and friends in the next class. |
| 031'04" |
Prelim SchoolDescribes PRELIM SCHOOL lessons including ANATOMY and PHYSIOLOGY, NURSING HYGIENE and practical skills, size of class, anxiety about formal classroom skills. Recalls nursing history seemed boring. Reflects she learnt teaching 'needs to be memorable and the student needs to be involved'. Describes being shocked at photos of reproductive system. Describes practical 'Ward-likes' at PRELIM. 'In fact, we used to go back at nights, Audrey and I, to make more beds, to get them perfect and make them in three minutes....' |
| 034'10" |
Uniform and Prelim SchoolDescribes two UNIFORMS and when worn: pale blue dress UNIFORM in rooms and for meals and white UNIFORM for the wards at MIDDLEMORE. Strict rules. Describes lessons at PRELIM, including hygiene, hand washing, sterilising bowls and equipment, nutrition. TUTOR SISTER possibly called SISTER MCALEER. Describes SISTER SAKER who was in charge of PRELIM and was a role model as a teacher and gave Grace personal encouragement. |
| 037'32" |
On Woards at MiddlemoreDescribes typical day on her first ward (ORTHOPAEDIC) including patient rounds, care, roles of student nurses, ward sister, learning from senior student nurses. Importance of Matron's visit, routine and rules. Hard work, responsibility to do job properly. Describes HIERARCHY 'a class system of who you talked to'. Explains making divided beds for patients in traction and emphasis on bed looking right rather than patient comfort. [DUTIES] |
| 046'48" |
Non-Patient WorkRecalls CLEANING work. Recalls lack of emphasis on talking to patients. If she sat down to talk to a patient, she would have been told 'haven't you got anything better to do, nurse?' Describes MIDDLEMORE's position as a 'B' grade base training school of AUCKLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING, going 'on tour' to other hospitals. 1956 was last year of old CURRICULUM which did not include MATERNITY TRAINING. |
| 050'08" |
Shift StructureDescribes SHIFT SYSTEM including divided shifts. Describes work characteristics of each shift and night shift responsibilities. Describes anxiety about nursing 'very sick people'. Dealing with DEATH of patients. FEAR of speaking to some charge nurses. |
| 057'03" |
Roles of Nurses at each levelDescribes transition through each year and work done. JUNIOR STATE EXAM. Describes greater role of patient care/supervising students as REGISTERED NURSE in Ward 4 at MIDDLEMORE. Refers SISTER GRANDISON, MISS BARKER (assistant-matron), MISS CLELAND (matron). Nurses groomed to be teachers for each level. Mentions encouraging a PINKIE (NURSE AIDES trained at CORNWALL HOSPITAL) to become a trained nurse. |
| 061'04" |
Roles of Nurses - ContinuedReflects on COLLEAGUESHIP between levels. Describes friendship MISS BARKER and SISTER GRANDISON. Describes role of WARD SISTERS. Describes awareness of hospital housekeeping, use of linen. Describes assistance of NURSE AIDES (training at CORNWALL HOSPITAL). Recalls no COMMUNITY TRAINING. |
| 064'25" |
Role of DoctorsDescribes doctors at MIDDLEMORE and attitudes towards them. Mentions MR MANCHESTER, the plastic surgeon of Ward One, and SISTER WILLIAMS. Refers ORTHOPAEDICS, PLASTIC SURGERY, DENTAL UNIT, Mr ROSS NICHOLSON, SISTER JOAN BENSON, OTARA SPINAL UNIT. Describes strong working relationships between some doctors and charge nurses.
ENDS 68'24" |
