So You Want To Go To Nursing School? (circa 1960's 1970's)

Published

to all you current students whinging on about how *hard* things are today *lol*, read on how different things were not that long ago.

for all those who went through similar programs, a chance to reminisce and reflect. oh, and by the way a big "thank you" thanks to those who graduted from such programs, stuck to your guns and the profession, you have invaluable knowledge and insight that deserves to be respected and passed on.

1: how to make a bed

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/archives/nhdp/vgh/vgh_11a.htm

2: freshmen year nursing syllabus -

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/msv/msv_10a.htm

3: cleaning instruments

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/archives/nhdp/vgh/vgh_14.htm

4: clinicals

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/msv/msv_16.htm

5: life in residence

[color=#0000a0]http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/iwk_childrens/iwk_3.htm

[color=#0000a0]6: nursing school students handbook and constitution and by-laws

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/iwk_childrens/iwk_7b.htm

7: obstetrics rotation

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/hin/hin_5.htm

8:operating room and recovery room rotations

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/hin/hin_6.htm

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

I wish I went to a nursing school like that, sounds like a wonderful (but challenging experience). The bed making form brought back memories, my CNA course 12 years ago was taught by and "old school" nurse and much of what I do comes from her teachings.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

LOL fun look back...and we had no fitted sheets:lol2:, glass IV bottles:uhoh3: etc.:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
LOL fun look back...and we had no fitted sheets:lol2:, glass IV bottles:uhoh3: etc.:D

Ugh. I remember being chastised several times because my beds weren't "hospital" enough.:uhoh3: I remember when we "sterilized" and reused suction catheters. Halothane anesthesia, Scopalamin/"twilight sleep" for deliveries, glass syringes and needles you had to sharpen and use again, scrubbing piles of instruments, IPPB treatments, grinding placentas (they sold them to makeup companies), required white support hose and leather "Clinic" brand shoes(and they hurt like the devil!) White "nursing pant-suits"--and some patients refused to be cared for by a nurse in pants! Doctors smoking cigars at the nurses station. Patients smoking in semi-private rooms. Ooh, ooh!~ Remember when the ward rooms(2-8 patients) had no bathroom and the patients were forced to walk all the way down the hall to pee? And there was one huge shower on the floor for the use of alllllllll the patients.

My nursing textbook didn't have one mention of genital herpes. My instructer told me that we didn't really need to know about it because we'd probably never see a case. :rolleyes: Ah, yes...the good old days...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

Thank you so much for posting these... I am so thankful for the memories of those who have been there - we're blessed to have modern advances, yet it's interesting to see the similarities in behavior. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

Mustlovepoodles, I was in school and out for several years before we were even allowed to wear white pants suits:uhoh3:. I'm 5'8" and our school cap made me look like the flying nun:rolleyes:. I worked ortho wearing that stuff, try finding a nursing uni that was long enough to cover as I contorted to adjust traction beds and not ding the cap on something:rolleyes:. I remember the wards, smoking by the Docs in the nurses station and the patients in their rooms. Halothane anesthesia, Scopalamin/"twilight sleep" for deliveries, glass syringes and needles you had to sharpen and use again, scrubbing piles of instruments, IPPB treatments ...LOL boy does all this dredge up some really old memories, one of my Clinical instructors was an old army nurse and getting those sheets TIGHT...ugh...LOL.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow!!

The first thing we learned in Block one pre-clinicals was how to wash our hands. The second thing was how to make hospital corners. This has actually come in handy because once the floor was out of fitted sheets and I had to use a long straight sheet. Our on-campus clinical instructor expects all the beds to be made perfectly before we put everything away in the lab.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER-Med/surg and Dialysis.

These links are good stuff, I was a student in the late 1980's and on into the early 90's My school had instructors that were straight outta your book. One had been a former military nurse on top of that! I also had to Don a very silly cap :p I do feel the education they provided me was nicely done, albeit some of the disciplines felt arbitrary to me at the time- it's still neat to hold onto some foundations.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Rehab, hemodialysis.
Ugh. I remember being chastised several times because my beds weren't "hospital" enough.:uhoh3: I remember when we "sterilized" and reused suction catheters. Halothane anesthesia, Scopalamin/"twilight sleep" for deliveries, glass syringes and needles you had to sharpen and use again, scrubbing piles of instruments, IPPB treatments, grinding placentas (they sold them to makeup companies), required white support hose and leather "Clinic" brand shoes(and they hurt like the devil!) White "nursing pant-suits"--and some patients refused to be cared for by a nurse in pants! Doctors smoking cigars at the nurses station. Patients smoking in semi-private rooms. Ooh, ooh!~ Remember when the ward rooms(2-8 patients) had no bathroom and the patients were forced to walk all the way down the hall to pee? And there was one huge shower on the floor for the use of alllllllll the patients.

My nursing textbook didn't have one mention of genital herpes. My instructer told me that we didn't really need to know about it because we'd probably never see a case. :rolleyes: Ah, yes...the good old days...

Wow! Sharpening needles to re-use?!? I'm a new nurse. I can't even imagine. Just....wow

Thanks for sharing!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Don't know about anyone else, I'm just going :eek: over the rules for student nurses in the dorms.

Not being allowed out after 10PM *period*.

Overnight passes issued only twice per month

"All students must sleep in her own bed, NO exception" (What was *that * all about?)

Permission to leave the dorms at other than allowed times required speaking to the Superintendent, who in turn had to speak with the DON to get permission

My favourite had to be this page: http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/IWK_Childrens/IWK_7o.htm

It reads like something out of that film "Nun's Story"

So much for all those pulp fiction 1960's romance novels such as "Night Nurse"... Would be kind of hard to get up to anything under those conditions. All that is missing is a "girdle check" or some such..:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Anyone want more?

Clinical Lab: And you modern nursing students thought lab "dolls" were a modern invention.

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/HIN/HIN_P4.htm

Night Duty: A period nurse writes about doing a night shift

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/HIN/HIN_20.htm

The "Ten" Commandments: Not quite Moses, but fearful none the less

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/HIN/HIN_15.htm

The Moment of Truth - Capping Day

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/HIN/HIN_9.htm

Where Is That PDR?

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/DAL/DAL_P4.htm

Exam Time!

http://forms.msvu.ca/library/tutorial/nhdp/IWK_Childrens/IWK_2b.htm

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.

Certainly sheds a lot of light on the "crush the spirits before instilling any knowledge" code of my school. Guess they were just passing on the tradition. :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion