The Wilmington morning star., 1945-07-15
Nursing In Britain
BY LIEUT.. KATHERINE e. RENDER.
A. N. C.,

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Feb u, 1915. -
When the 65th came to England in October
l943, we were settled in the Midlands. Our
nearest town was a quaint picture post card
affair built on the hills that overlook walls.
1t was a rather gentel town harboring
great many old people who had come there
to retire 1t is most beautiful il spring when
the nlghtlngales sing in the apple orchards,
and the meadows are Yellow with prirnroses.
The five months we were there were spent
in setting up the hospital, opening it early
in December, and getting acclimated to our
new way of life. The mud, I believe will
never be forgotten We had lots of pep and
ambition tho in those days, and bicycled all
over the countryside-every chance we got we
went somewhere. think we must have tho't
in those days that we would only be in England
month or two and must see it all as quickly
as possible. From the Western part of England,
we moved straight across to the flat country.
1t is a whole year now since we came to
East Anglia There has been little time to
play but the work has been vastly different
and much more interesting.
Each ward has thirty-four beds, and tent
which accommodates fifteen ambulatory pa
tients is attached to the ward We work eight
hours a day, have one nurse to ward. Once
every two weeks, we get day off and oc-
casionally forty eight hours. Night duty comes
every three months and we work thirty nights,
Twelve uuIy, S0tII1S Il1ACC 1l1SHIo ou1 ing
that period off. On night duty we have from
two to four wards to cover.
have spent the greater part of my time on
an orthopedic ward and loved it. have truly
learned the value of penicillin, blood plasma,
sulfanilamide crystals, vaseline gauze and low
ly peroxide. There are hip spicas, long leg
casts, skin tight ones, many amputations and,
of course, much drainage. The odor is some
times very bad In good many cases, walk
ers are put on the casts enabling the patients
to get around without the aid of crutches
As soon the patients are up, they are
given details to do on the ward. They sweep,
dust, do KIP, scrub the sinks, go on errands
and sometimes even help in the of other
patients. They also keep the fires going in
the wards, count the soled linen, etc. Very
rarely do you hear any of them grippe over
the work they've been given to do. I have
never seen better spirit Of craftsmanship.
They are also so grateful for such little things.
Most of them, when they get to u.s. are so
thankful to be in a place that's warm, to
have a real bed with sheets, and hot foods,
that the 1uxuries are prone to lavish on
patients in civilian life aren't evern thought
Of The other day Of my patients who
was more seriously wounded than the others
had a birthday. We had a beautiful cake,
made in our kitchen, with Happy Birthday"
written on It, and another patient borrowed
we sang Happy Birthday To YOU Cocoa was
served One of the Red Cross workers brought
presents of cigarettes and candy and singing
went on all afternoon. have never seen any
body more appreciative. Both of his hands
are bandaged so he can't feed himself but,
bow, can he eat!
Our ward men are splendid. L have only
three my ward but they work together
we'll and are liked by the patients which is
very important Sometimes, 1 have had twenty
five and thirty strictly bed patients and I can
tell you that if 1t weren't for the ward men
and patients help. I would have been
swamped With temperatures to take, meals
to serve, baths to give dressings to change,
besides hot congresses. sending OF patients
to X-Ray and various clinics. fresh operatives,
and all the housekeeping duties, the overseas
nurse seem to have, not to mention the book
work. various forms to fill out, ETC., one is
kept busy won't go into SATURDAY. morning
formal Inspection the waxing Of floors linen
closets and such since that is a book itself.
AS for the nurses quarters, we live in tar
paper affairs, better known as huts There
are eight girls to hut In the center Of the
hut is stove hideously drab affair, but oh
so beautiful when its freezing outside and the
fire is actually burning within The floor is
cement. There are no rugs. There are four
dressers, a table. four Or five folding chairs
and eight cots, all made with o. D. blankets.
All quarters are identical, or nearly so. for no
matter how hard you try, individualism is
bound to come out and no two will really be
the same. This characteristic is brought out
most emphatic ally in the little wall space by
the bed Most Of us have maps, some snapshots
and pictures pinned up. One Of the patients
read my horoscope the other day and it said
had a stormy home life'' It could we'll be
true since we agree, disagree, grippe, laugh
sing listen to our radio necessarily and get
bored with each other as only eight people
can do when living in room for year
and half Sometimes we remind me Of eight
sisters who love each other dearly but quarrel
in spite of everything
We have a very attractive club and
casionally have dances The other night we
had our first bingo party, and it was great
fun.
I am writing all Of this from the Trossachs
Hotel, situated on Lock Achray in Scotland.
AS I sit here in the lounge with marvelo IS
view of the lake and mountains which are
still white with snow the war seems very
remote. It is the first vacation in a year,
and I picked this place so that ] could enjoy
some solitude / only arrived this mornino.
having spent nv first two days in Edinburgh.
Tomorrow. if the weather is permissible.
shall walk to Lock Katrine. which I'm told is
on7v ten minute walk from here This is
the "Tadv of the Lake. country, and is more
beautiful than anything I've seen. The hotel is
hui1t of stone with four towers and was quite
IA shionab1e before the war Since this is not
the season for the Trossachs- there are few