Nursing Voices

This book describes the working lives of those employed in nursing in Dumfriesshire in the second half of the twentieth century. For much of the early part of this period, nursing was largely focused on patients with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Nursing and patient care changed in significant ways during these years, particularly in mental health care and in the development of new pharmaceutical treatments. In their own voices, those interviewed by volunteer fieldworker Margaret Smith talk about their experiences in different hospitals and reflect on the changes in their profession in the course of their working lives. Across the range of experience, one of the key recurring themes is a profession that was structured around a strict formal hierarchy. Nevertheless, many talk of the satisfaction, pride and enjoyment they found in nursing, and of the importance of a happy ward environment. The interviewees highlight both positive and negative aspects of change: some lament the loss of earlier structures and practices, while others describe how patient care was markedly improved by later innovative changes in practice. All interviewees convey the rewarding nature of working in a caring profession and serving their communities.