The Baby Boomer Nurse

By Lytton Johns and EJ Thornton

Two RNs share some of their experiences from their career as nurses. An inside look at the culture of nursing schools in the 70‘s and personal recollections of various work experiences throughout the years

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483509624

Book preview

Preface

Lytton

Who better to recall the last 40 years than the ones who actually lived and breathed this life themselves. The story we want to tell is not that of Florence Nightingale, nor the post World War II nurse, but the nurse who has pioneered so many technology changes, and grown so much in such a few years; and who is still implementing change. As you read the stories of these nurses, you may find yourself in one of their many adventures. You may think that some of these stories are fiction; however, there are no manufactured tales and these stories are all true, told and experienced by one of the authors of this book.

This book is dedicated to our families who have endured the long hours, weekends, and holidays in which we have worked, and the family time that was sacrificed so that we, as nurses, could care for patients who depended on us during their time of illness. We would be remiss if we did not also include the many boomer nurses not mentioned, who have given so much of their time and knowledge to the growth of nursing through the years. There are so many stories, and this book only tells a few.

Who is the baby boomer nurse? We have defined the boomer nurse as a person who went to school and became a nurse during the 60’s and 70’s and practiced during that time and for many, to this day still practice.

What kind of person is she or he? Why did they go into nursing? What has the road been like through the years? What was health care like the past 40 plus years? Take the journey with us back through the years and see how the dreams were fulfilled by many nurses. The expeditions will send you through a variety of health care settings and lead you through a time capsule of progress.

Chapter 1

The Decision to become a Registered Nurse

Lytton

It wasn’t difficult for me to decide on this pursuit. My grandmother was a Licensed Vocational or Practical Nurse who was taught through on the job training. She practiced nursing for thirty years, predominantly in private duty nursing on the night shift. One day she brought me a medicine cup and IV (intravenous) tubing, which precipitated an idea of opening my own hospital from age three onward. As the years passed, our hospital grew in size to include my twin sister and our two friends. The tool shed behind the house became the hospital. The years passed and we took turns playing post office, school, husband and wife, and of course hospital. The hospital always remained open and cared for medical conditions such as fractured arms and legs and other illnesses. This was only the beginning of many years ahead, in which two of the four friends went on to become Registered Nurses.

Volunteering had a great influence on my career choice. I believe that my decision to enter the nursing field was enhanced by my experience as a Daisy or Candy Striper. I volunteered over 300 hours during my junior high and high school years. Some of the duties I was assigned included:

Cleaning labor/delivery rooms

Cleaning surgical suites

Cleaning laboratory slides

Powdering gloves

Preparing instruments for the autoclave

Cleaning patient rooms including the bed frames (there were no fitted sheets, thus sheets had to be tied underneath to make them tight)

Working in the laundry

Delivering patient trays and answering call lights

Many of the Daisies went on to become nurses and practice in a variety of settings. One of my friends served as an officer in the military for many years. Another held a position in a hospital as Director of Nursing and still another was Director of a nursing program.

Well, it was now 1967, and now that I decided to become a Registered Nurse, the next step was to make a decision on what type of program to apply for and where to go to school. There were diploma programs and four year degree programs. I considered the advantages and disadvantages of the various programs. The four year programs were very expensive and there was only one in the area an hour and half drive away. The three year program would allow me to live in a dormitory while attending a nearby junior college to take pre-requisites for nursing school. Associate degree programs were just being created in the area.

E.J.

Well, unlike many of my fellow Registered Nurses, I did not have this calling from a young age and, although my mother was an RN, I consciously did NOT want to enter the same career as she. She served in the British Army during WWII as a Registered Nurse and worked in a hospital in London during the German blitzkrieg years, and I much later heard some stories of her experiences there. When I was a child she worked in a local hospital in Canada and the United States, but never talked about her work. So how did I ever get into this profession with no example or mentor to talk about the profession? Well, I married very young and was a college drop-out; but, after being at home a few years with two children, became very bored and knew that I wanted to do something. Living outside the city there were no four year colleges that I could either afford and/or drive to within fifty miles of my house. And back in the 70’s there were not nearly the career options there are today for women, and with no-one to guide me or even give me information I was completely on my own in my decisions.

Turns out one of my neighbor friends who were also a stay at home mother and I would visit daily, and while our kids were napping after lunch we discussed future career options. She was in the same type of situation that I was in. And then one day, over a glass of wine, we both committed to going to nursing school. It sounded good to us and we both wanted to work with people and help others. She at least had been a Candy Striper which was more than I could say