"I left school at 16 and became a cadet working at both the Royal Infirmary and the City Hospital. At that age we were too young to work on the wards so during the first year we were given a general grounding. I started in the orthopaedic clinics, and then worked in pharmacy, medical records, also in the syringe department where we sterilised and packaged the glass syringes before they were sent back to the wards.
At 17 we were finally allowed on the wards where we worked as an auxiliary - making beds, feeding and washing the patients. It was a big day when I was allowed to give an injection for the first time. We also went to college on Eaton Road two days a week to study anatomy and physiology but there was no formal qualification at the end of it.
Most of the cadets lived in the Cadets Home which, I think, is now the
Cavendish Hotel, but I lived at home as it wasn't far.
The worst thing about the uniform was the black orthopaedic shoes we
had to wear. Our dresses were long and green and, as we had to travel
a lot between hospitals, the very formal uniform also included a navy mac
and beret. I was once caught on my way to work without a beret -
this was a big disaster!
In 1963 I began training for my RGN. I now had to live in the
Nurses Home. Lights out was at 11 pm and the door was locked at the
end of the corridor. To stay out until midnight we had to have a
late pass and be let in by the Night Sister. I was on nights a lot
which I found hard. We had breakfast at 7.30 pm and then we did a
12-hour shift, nine days on and five days off. I didn't sleep well
and couldn't study so I gave up after 12 months. I had to see Matron
Edwards, who looked very strict in a big tall hat. She refused to
let me go but eventually relented and I transferred to Barrowmore where
I could become a SEN in just one year."