‘Doctors were doctors, nurses were nurses’
Status was raised in a number of interviews, the hierarchy that existed in the health service was mentioned by a number of participants. This related to students/ staff nurses/ sisters/ matrons within the nursing community and between doctors and nurses. It is worthy of note that other health professional groups were largely absent in the discussions.
A nurse who trained in London in 1941 describes her memories of hierarchy and fear, and how she coped with this:
She goes on to talk about the importance of the stage of training and how you became more accepted as you progressed:
and continues with a story about being called to see Matron:
A nurse who trained later in 1960 also identifies hierarchy but highlighted the human side and did value the support:
Hierarchy wasn’t only on the wards but also existed in the dining arrangements:
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