As a young local eighteen year old in 1959 I was filled with excitement at the thought of starting my nurse’ s training at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Student nurses in 1959 were all female and had to live in the nearby Red Home with bars on the windows for their first year. We moved into West Home for the second year Third year we moved into the newly built Florence Nightingale home fondly called The Flo. We felt it was luxurious with showers and other mod cons Students came from all over the world, America, Canada, France, Africa. We soon became good friends and supported one other, I shared a room with a friend who later became my bridesmaid. One girl from Portobello became very homesick and we all rallied round. None of us commented when one of the students who had been out all night and was being questioned by the senior said she had got up early and had just be out at mass.
When starting my training I was allocated my uniform -three blue dresses ,three blue collars ,three blue belts seven white starched aprons and a red cape.
After one year I was given a white collar ,after two years I was allowed to wear white cuffs. After three years I was now a registered General Nurse adding a white belt to my uniform. I felt very surprised and proud to receive ‘Best Surgical Nurse of the Year Award’ and was given £15 that had to be spent on medical books I chose gynaecological books as that was the area of nursing that interested me most. Celebration time was after four years when I proudly wore my Pelican Badge There continues to be an annual lunch that Pelican nurses can attend. What pride and camaraderie was given to the status. A regular Pelican magazine is available to those who want it. The regime was tough. Our bedrooms were inspected daily by the Home Sister. If we hadn’t made our beds properly they were stripped and we had to remake them.
Toilets and baths were communal.
Every morning we had to report to the dining room by 7am where we enjoyed brown bread butter and tea before kneeling to recite The Lord’s Prayer. The register was called and we were told which ward we had to report to.
We were on duty from 7.30 am till 9.30 am when all 24 beds in the Nightingale Wards were made.
We had a break for breakfast of cereal and toast at 9.30 am and were back on the ward by 10am wearing a fresh apron. We worked till 4.30pm or sometimes did a split shift. We were not expected to keep copious written notes on patients but were skilled observers and knew our patients well I sometimes used to fold back the corner of my starched apron and jot down something I really did not want to forget.
Visiting hour was from 3pm till 4pm. Visitors were encouraged to bring in an egg. The egg was named and the patient got it at tea time. Before visiting hour the big heavy iron beds had to be lined up exactly. One of my friends was pulling a bed and somehow slid and ended up on her back on the floor underneath it.
We had to attend classes to gain medical knowledge but I much preferred the practical experience working with the patients in the wards. During my training I was seconded for two months to the tuberculosis ward at the City Hospital.
After completing my training and moving out of the nurses’ accommodation I missed the company of the friends I had made.
It was a hard life but I enjoyed it and took great pride in my work.
I had achieved my ambition and felt very privileged to have had such a rewarding vocation that spanned over many years.

Carol’s story written by Maureen April 2024