This book is based on the author's (Jennifer Craig) experience of her nurse training. It starts on her first day as a student nurse, where she meets friends, many of whom are important through the rest of her life. She also meets the House Sister, a woman who takes delight in her power over the young students.
It follows the author through her training, starting as a nurse in a preliminary training school, where just the sight of a ward terrifies her, through to her time as a junior student nurse on the ward, and slowly graduating her way up to ward sister.
Review
As a nurse myself, these sorts of books interest me. The way these nurses were trained is so different to the way I was trained. As a student, I was supernumary - our university would have gone mad if we were given the responsibilities students in the 50s were given! The ward was organised very differently to how it is today. Not only physically - we no longer have Nightingale wards, but small 4-8 bedded bays with the odd single side room. But also in the work division. Sister does not have overall responsibilty for the patients; nurses are allocated specific bays and provide care for these patients, which encompasses many of the roles Sister did in the book. The hospital is also a lot less formal these days. We have Modern Matrons and we are all on her first name terms with ours.
Jennifer Craig though still shared many of my worries as a student and a newly qualified nurse. I remember the first time I stepped on a ward - it was terrifying. I was worried that I would never get used to dealing with urine, vomit and faeces. I didn't know how I would ever be able to do things like changing dressings without being sick. I, probably along with most of my friends, went through bad placements and the feeling of wanting to quit. And those first shifts as a newly qualified nurse! They were the worst.
My only criticism of the book is that it is much, much too short. There are 340 pages, but I read them all in a day.
