Doncaster Gate Heritage Project - Nursing at Doncaster Gate in the 1950s

One way of beginning to train as a nurse was to become a Cadet Nurse; this was a position which could be taken up at the age of 15. These teenage girls worked on the wards under the nurses providing extra manpower and a spare pair of hands. It was a position from which they gain a very good grounding in the nursing profession and it was the first place that any of the prospective nurses got a real feel for what is was they were head towards.

Within the strict hierarchy of the hospital Cadets came at the bottom of the pyramid; referred to as "Cadet" and generally expected to undertake the more boring and unpleasant tasks; one cadet relayed her memories of collecting the sputum pots from patients with chest infections and her fear of dropping one on the bare wooden floors! However, many of the girls who began their training at this level have very happy memories; especially of their uniform which was pink, with cloth coveredButtons.

Many nurses remember their entrance interview with the Hospital Secretary and Matron; these interviews took place at the hospital once a girl had turned 18 and had made a written application to Matron for a place. Doncaster Gate Hospital was a very popular place to begin training due to it friendly family atmosphere which is fondly remembered by many former employees.

Once the interview had been successfully completed the new trainees moved into the nursing accommodation in and around the hospital. All nurses were required to live in even if they had homes in Rotherham. The dormitories were located above the front of the hospital and were either single or twin rooms. The girls were expected to maintain the same level of cleanliness, tidiness and efficiency that they displayed at their jobs in their private quarters; the beds had to made perfectly and everything in perfect order. If the Home Sister did not feel that a room was suitable made up the nurse in question was required to run up during her break and remake it to the expected standard. Despite the strict routine, a number of former nurses remember the relative luxury of the hospital's internal toilets and the vast baths which were a staple of the nurses live though apparently climbing in and out of them was a bit of an effort.

Nevertheless, the community which living so closely together afforded was vital to getting through the three years of training. The support which this community provided helped individuals deal with personal struggles as well as the trauma of working and learning so closely with life and death. As well as providing a vital network of support the community was also a place of friendship and fun. After the Night Sister's "lights out" round there are lots of memories of a guitar or transistor radio being brought out along with sweets and tasty treats from those with mothers near enough to send baked goods. Trainee Doctors also had to spend some time living in at the hospital so as to be near enough to be called on when required. While this was beneficial for the care of the patients it did mean that the Doctors could be asked to operate minutes after getting out of bed. One doctor riley remembers skidding across the road to the Hospital during a particular bad winter in his slippers and dressing grown to see a patient in the middle of the night.

While all the nurses were dedicated to their jobs there was a social life into which young nurses were able to enter. The Clifton Dance Hall was one place were nurses could relax and enjoy themselves, also by showing their Nurses Christian Fellowship cards the nurses could get in for free; however, they had to be back in on the dot of 10.30 or face the prospect of having to negotiate their way back in covertly. There are many stories as to the ways to get back into the hospital after curfew; one way was to locate a friendly porter who would unlock a door for you and check that the cost was clear, another was to wake up a friend and get them to open their window, and the one which seems to have been regularly used as a method was the drainpipe next to the Sister's sitting room at the front of the Hospital.

The family atmosphere of Doncaster Gate was a blessing and a curse when it came to relationships; all new boyfriends were vetted by Matron before they were allowed to be invited to a formal hospital occasion and no male caller was allowed into the hospital socially. However, the nurses could also aid and abet each other; one 2^nd year Nurse working a nightshift on Queen's remembers being sent on an extra long break while her 3^rd year counterpart let her boyfriend, the local policeman, in for a cup of tea on his night round. Many husbands of Nurses recall that the most terrifying interview they ever had was with Matron once they had asked their Nurse to marry them.

It was Matron who was in charge of all the Nurses; she was a formidable figure in the life of the nursing staff. All matrons were unmarried women who had worked their way up through the nursing ranks; she was supported by the Assistant Nurse, the Home Sister and the House Sister. While many former nurses remember their Matron's a strict older woman, though with hindsight most recognise that the strict rules and decision were made with their best interests at heart.

Of all the memories of experiences with Matron there are a few which stand out. Many Nurses have stories to tell of breaking a thermometer and being sent in disgrace to Matron who would piece together all the fragments to make sure that only one new thermometer could be claimed for a broken one. One nurse tells of the terror which gripped her when she had to go and tell Matron that she had broken the brand new steriliser! And all young nurses remember the heavy carved wooden chair which stood at the bottom of Matron's stairs and anxious minutes spent sitting there waiting to be calling in to a conference with Matron.

The Nurses worked within a strict hierarchy with the Senior Nurses at the top and the Cadet Nurses at the bottom; this hierarchy was made obvious by the difference in colour of the uniforms: the Cadets were in their pink uniforms, the trainee nurses were in pale blue with stripes on their shoulders to signify their year group, qualified nurses were in royal blue, sisters in navy and Matron herself wore navy blue but without an apron, all practising nurses had a white apron and cap. It is this structure which as stuck with so many after all this time and the importance which was placed upon it. All training nurses were required to stand up when anyone in a navy blue dress come into the room; and one cadet nurse remembers her desire to the one for whom people stood up and her slight disappointment that by the time she qualified the system was changing.

The working relationship between the Doctors/Consultants and Nurses was a varied one. While some doctors still maintained a distant and aloof manner when dealing with nurses, there were others who were keen to pass on their knowledge. There a some who have special memories of the time spent in theatre and the off the cuff teaching which took place around the anesthetised patient. The standards which were expected on the ward when Matron did her rounds were heightened when the Consultant took to the wards. All the wheels on the beds had to be facing the same direction, all patients had to be in bed and all diagnosis and treatment for each patient known without notes. Needless to say there was much running around when a round was due and often the wheels were kicked into alignment rather than delicately placed.

Rollover each photo for more information and click to enlarge.

The Doncaster Gate Audio Player requires Flash... Get Flash

Nursing at Doncaster Gate in the 1950s

Share: