So You Want To Become A Nurse?

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No, not a modern nurse, but one of those white dress wearing cap on her head "Mr. Jones I'm here to take your temperature" types.

Grab a mug of coffee or tea and sit down for a good read about nursing 1960's style. You also might want to keep a box of tissues or roll of paper towels handy. The first is for those whom remember fondly the "old days", the later is for youngsters who just cannot imagine. Either way a tear or two might come to your eye.

DGTG

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How To Be A Perfect Patient - circa 1954

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Wearing my nursing cap, sipping my cup of tea and loving the

articles..thanks for the post!:nurse:

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

"And try to avoid asking the nurse to arrange the flowers that come." :lol2: I like the $5000 annual salary, too.

Thanks, that was fun to read :)

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$1.56 HR :yeah::hhmth:

My mom was an lpn and she talked about making this kind of money, always tough she was pulling my leg . how did people live back then ?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

These are great!:)

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You youngsters just don't know what time it is! *LOL*

Average wages 1963: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html

Average cost of some goods and services in 1963: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1963.html

For instance one could purchase a home in 1963 for about $12,000 (give or take depending upon where one lived), and while it seems highly unlikely today many families lived well enough or at least got by. This was with stay at home mothers and two, three, four or more kids as well.

People tended to live within their means. The words "we can't afford it" wasn't seen as some mark of not doing well or social shame.

Just for the record adjusted for inflation a wage of $5,000 per year equals about $22,000 today.

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"And try to avoid asking the nurse to arrange the flowers that come." :lol2: I like the $5000 annual salary, too.

Thanks, that was fun to read :)

My mom would always say Forget the flowers , bring me candy with a side of inslin :yeah:

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

How I would love to give that "How to be a good patient" to every person that puts on a hospital gown.:lol2:

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You youngsters just don't know what time it is! *LOL*

Average wages 1963: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html

Average cost of some goods and services in 1963: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1963.html

For instance one could purchase a home in 1963 for about $12,000 (give or take depending upon where one lived), and while it seems highly unlikely today many families lived well enough or at least got by. This was with stay at home mothers and two, three, four or more kids as well.

People tended to live within their means. The words "we can't afford it" wasn't seen as some mark of not doing well or social shame.

Just for the record adjusted for inflation a wage of $5,000 per year equals about $22,000 today.

I love the .29 bread and .22 gas :yeah:I can not even get a soda for that .

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Don't kill me for asking this but did they have Plastic back in 1960 or just rubber ? All old tv shows show glass and rubber . What where foley catheter bags made out of ? What if Somone could not use latex back then ? Was there silocone ?

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I love the .29 bread and .22 gas :yeah:I can not even get a soda for that .

Though was only a child in the 1970's things were pretty much the same, and while inflation was really bad during that period, I think our family did pretty well. We had our own home, our bellies were full, clothes on our back, etc...

For instance we children simply "invented" games and didn't need expensive toys or what not to keep us occupied. Things such as kick ball, stick ball, ringolario, kick the can, Johnny on the Pony, Skelly, Stoop ball and so forth.

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