The Silver Buckle

I remember:

The smell of gangrene and formaldehyde.

 Botched backyard abortions and huge bedsores.

 Being alone on night duty as a first year nurse and caring for forty patients.

 The consultants round with the strict hierarchy of medical and nursing staff.

 The hard physical work.

 The poor pay but the community’s love and respect for nurses.

 The lifelong friends and camaraderie.

 The fun and laughter along with some tears.

These memories of my nurse training will stay with me forever.

'The Silver Buckle' is a personal memoir of training to be a Registered Nurse in South East London during the memorable 60s, when many rules and ideas were changing – including nursing. This was the time of mini skirts, rock 'n' roll music, young people challenging the status quo with their own music and fashion. Years of nurse training involved many other experiences too, often distressing and traumatic for an 18-year-old, such as the first death, terrible conditions, and rigid heirachy of medical and nursing personnel.