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Rituals & Myths in Nursing: A Social History
Nursing is a complex profession steeped in tradition and history. Tried and tested ways of working have been the mainstay of how and why nurses do what they do. Completing tasks in a certain way because "Sister says so" describes the custom and practice of nursing, passed on through the generations that existed for most of the 20th Century and can still hold sway today.
Science and evidence-based practice have weakened the hold on tradition but ritual is still part of the fabric of nursing. Packed with amusing and sometimes poignant reminiscences this book paints a picture of nursing from the first registration of SRN No 1, Ethel Bedford Fenwick in 1919, to the present day.
Each chapter follows a theme, explores the historical background and brings it to life with stories told by nurses from different eras. We have tales of alcohol prescribed to dilate blood vessels or simply for the feel good factor. Enemas were less fun, given for almost all bowel conditions; 'High, hot and a helluva lot!' was the phrase for remembering this ritual.
Written with humour and a light touch, readers don't need a nursing background to enjoy these stories, but those who trained as nurses will identify with many of the amusing and often eccentric traditions retold by generations of nurses.
Science and evidence-based practice have weakened the hold on tradition but ritual is still part of the fabric of nursing. Packed with amusing and sometimes poignant reminiscences this book paints a picture of nursing from the first registration of SRN No 1, Ethel Bedford Fenwick in 1919, to the present day.
Each chapter follows a theme, explores the historical background and brings it to life with stories told by nurses from different eras. We have tales of alcohol prescribed to dilate blood vessels or simply for the feel good factor. Enemas were less fun, given for almost all bowel conditions; 'High, hot and a helluva lot!' was the phrase for remembering this ritual.
Written with humour and a light touch, readers don't need a nursing background to enjoy these stories, but those who trained as nurses will identify with many of the amusing and often eccentric traditions retold by generations of nurses.
- GenresNonfiction
155 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 7, 2019
Whilst there’s no shortage of nursing memoirs, “Rituals and Myths” manages to stand out from the crowd by weaving together entertaining anecdotes with very accessible insights to nursing custom and practice over the years. There are first-hand accounts from nurses who saw the creation of the NHS right through to the current day, put into context with information drawn from more scholarly sources.
It would have been easy to sensationalise some of the material, – I’ll never eat a Malteser in hospital again- but the author has been careful to balance the more eye boggling stories with well considered discussion of the medical benefits (or disbenefits in some cases) of the practices nurses have experienced over the years. Prior medical knowledge isn’t needed as brief explanations are given of anything that might not be well known.
Any discussion about nursing – and particularly one with any historical context – is often overwhelmed by those who yearn for the days before nursing degrees when Matron was in charge and nurses were there to dispense compassion. “Rituals and Myths” does an admirable job of driving home the point that medical know how and compassion are anything but mutually exclusive, and that although many nursing rituals had their origins in the desire to have nurses “doing” rather than “thinking” many found ways to understand their patients as people, not just beings that made hospital beds untidy, and found ways to provide some social and emotional support as well as physical care.
This book will be enjoyed by anyone who has nursed or is thinking of nursing.
It would have been easy to sensationalise some of the material, – I’ll never eat a Malteser in hospital again- but the author has been careful to balance the more eye boggling stories with well considered discussion of the medical benefits (or disbenefits in some cases) of the practices nurses have experienced over the years. Prior medical knowledge isn’t needed as brief explanations are given of anything that might not be well known.
Any discussion about nursing – and particularly one with any historical context – is often overwhelmed by those who yearn for the days before nursing degrees when Matron was in charge and nurses were there to dispense compassion. “Rituals and Myths” does an admirable job of driving home the point that medical know how and compassion are anything but mutually exclusive, and that although many nursing rituals had their origins in the desire to have nurses “doing” rather than “thinking” many found ways to understand their patients as people, not just beings that made hospital beds untidy, and found ways to provide some social and emotional support as well as physical care.
This book will be enjoyed by anyone who has nursed or is thinking of nursing.
April 3, 2020
Thanks to Rosie Croft, from Pen & Sword, for providing me a paperback copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
This is not the first book about nursing from Pen & Sword that I review, but it seems a particularly appropriate moment to read it and comment on the changes that have taken place in a profession that is right now at the forefront of everybody’s mind. The hard work all the healthcare professionals are doing, at a high personal risk, should not be underestimated, and I hope this health crisis (the coronavirus pandemic) will make governments realise that there are certain things that we should never try to make savings on, because the consequences can be catastrophic. But, let’s talk about the book.
The above description captures perfectly the essence of this book. It is packed full of anecdotes by nursing staff from different generations, as the long list of acknowledgments at the beginning of the book reflects. It is a wonderful combination of fun, bizarre, and touching episodes, memories of uniforms, strange cures (and I’ve heard of some of them, so yes, fashions change over the years), strict cleaning routines that would have made army sergeants proud (including how to make a bed properly), ghosts, cooking breakfast in the wards, what used to pass for medication… all of them steeped up in the social circumstances of the period and reflecting the changes, not only in Medicine and Nursing (from learning on the job, nursing became a university degree, and from tradition and usage they moved onto evidence-based practice), but in society at large. Although I haven’t worked in a hospital for a few years, one of my best friends is a nurse; I have worked and met many nurses, and all the stories rung true for me.
The book includes some wonderful black and white illustrations, a bibliography (with blogs and websites as well as books and articles), a detailed index and even a chart of medical slang. The book is divided into twelve chapters: Without Rhyme or Reason (talking about training and the reasons why women [and later on, men also] decided to go into the job, in many cases out of family tradition); Nurses Who Rustle (uniforms, badges and related items); Handover and Hierarchy (times have changed and the way things are done have also changed, mostly for the better, although there is plenty of nostalgia and some true characters most nurses will never forget); Hygiene and Hijinks (cleaning protocols have changed in so many ways…); Egg White and Oxygen (treatments that had very little, if any, scientific base, but were followed religiously at the time); Bladders, Bowels and Bodily Functions (I don’t think I need to explain this); Medicines and Mystical Powers (this chapter deals not only with medications and drugs that would never be used now and were probably quite dangerous, but also with the procedures and routines imposed in the past that are almost impossible to believe now); Things that go Bump in the Night (ghosts stories… What proper old hospital does not have one ghost or many? And of course, the ghosts of nurses are hard at work ensuring the wellbeing of patients even after death); Dust, Dirt and Domesticity (cleaning protocols past and present); Once the Dust has Settled (gloves, potions, kits…); Theatre theatricals (being in a surgical theatre is an experience as nurses know only too well); Life and Death (births, deaths and everything in between).
This book is a delight. It’s full with many different voices, from different eras, from nurses that had worked in a variety of specialities, all sharing personal stories or stories that they had heard on their jobs. Some are emotional, some funny, and I must warn people who are squeamish about illnesses and bodily functions, as there are some anecdotes that might make them cringe. But anybody who enjoys books about nursing, social history, or just a genuine story with plenty of heart, should read this book. And if you know any nurses or anybody interested in the topic don’t forget to recommend it. It’s a great homage to a profession that has always been and remains, a true caring profession.
This is not the first book about nursing from Pen & Sword that I review, but it seems a particularly appropriate moment to read it and comment on the changes that have taken place in a profession that is right now at the forefront of everybody’s mind. The hard work all the healthcare professionals are doing, at a high personal risk, should not be underestimated, and I hope this health crisis (the coronavirus pandemic) will make governments realise that there are certain things that we should never try to make savings on, because the consequences can be catastrophic. But, let’s talk about the book.
The above description captures perfectly the essence of this book. It is packed full of anecdotes by nursing staff from different generations, as the long list of acknowledgments at the beginning of the book reflects. It is a wonderful combination of fun, bizarre, and touching episodes, memories of uniforms, strange cures (and I’ve heard of some of them, so yes, fashions change over the years), strict cleaning routines that would have made army sergeants proud (including how to make a bed properly), ghosts, cooking breakfast in the wards, what used to pass for medication… all of them steeped up in the social circumstances of the period and reflecting the changes, not only in Medicine and Nursing (from learning on the job, nursing became a university degree, and from tradition and usage they moved onto evidence-based practice), but in society at large. Although I haven’t worked in a hospital for a few years, one of my best friends is a nurse; I have worked and met many nurses, and all the stories rung true for me.
The book includes some wonderful black and white illustrations, a bibliography (with blogs and websites as well as books and articles), a detailed index and even a chart of medical slang. The book is divided into twelve chapters: Without Rhyme or Reason (talking about training and the reasons why women [and later on, men also] decided to go into the job, in many cases out of family tradition); Nurses Who Rustle (uniforms, badges and related items); Handover and Hierarchy (times have changed and the way things are done have also changed, mostly for the better, although there is plenty of nostalgia and some true characters most nurses will never forget); Hygiene and Hijinks (cleaning protocols have changed in so many ways…); Egg White and Oxygen (treatments that had very little, if any, scientific base, but were followed religiously at the time); Bladders, Bowels and Bodily Functions (I don’t think I need to explain this); Medicines and Mystical Powers (this chapter deals not only with medications and drugs that would never be used now and were probably quite dangerous, but also with the procedures and routines imposed in the past that are almost impossible to believe now); Things that go Bump in the Night (ghosts stories… What proper old hospital does not have one ghost or many? And of course, the ghosts of nurses are hard at work ensuring the wellbeing of patients even after death); Dust, Dirt and Domesticity (cleaning protocols past and present); Once the Dust has Settled (gloves, potions, kits…); Theatre theatricals (being in a surgical theatre is an experience as nurses know only too well); Life and Death (births, deaths and everything in between).
This book is a delight. It’s full with many different voices, from different eras, from nurses that had worked in a variety of specialities, all sharing personal stories or stories that they had heard on their jobs. Some are emotional, some funny, and I must warn people who are squeamish about illnesses and bodily functions, as there are some anecdotes that might make them cringe. But anybody who enjoys books about nursing, social history, or just a genuine story with plenty of heart, should read this book. And if you know any nurses or anybody interested in the topic don’t forget to recommend it. It’s a great homage to a profession that has always been and remains, a true caring profession.
May 19, 2022
I found this book to be a very engaging and informative read. I graduated nursing school in 2009, so while certain nursing rituals were familiar to me, quite a few were not. It was delightful to peek into the past and see where nursing used to be in comparison to where it is now.
I also enjoyed learning about the British acronyms, which were similar, yet quite different than American ones. Example: the British “NBM” (“Nil By Mouth”) vs the American “NPO” (I was taught this meant “Nil Per Os”, although apparently it can also mean “Nothing Per Oral”, which is honestly easier to remember). I found the British “DNACPR” (“Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation”) to be much more of a mouthful than our American “DNR” (“Do Not Resuscitate”) and I wonder if that particular acronym has fallen out of favor.
This book offers so much to both the nurse who wants to learn more about the history of the nursing profession and to any reader who likes to glimpse into the the past through the shared memories and recollections of various people.
“Rituals & Myths In Nursing” was a 5-star read for me. Times, uniforms, traditions, and practices may have changed, but the kind of people that live and breathe in these histories are the same kind as those that I worked side-by-side with for years. It is this human element combined with its immersive historical backdrop, that makes this book truly a wonderful read.
I also enjoyed learning about the British acronyms, which were similar, yet quite different than American ones. Example: the British “NBM” (“Nil By Mouth”) vs the American “NPO” (I was taught this meant “Nil Per Os”, although apparently it can also mean “Nothing Per Oral”, which is honestly easier to remember). I found the British “DNACPR” (“Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation”) to be much more of a mouthful than our American “DNR” (“Do Not Resuscitate”) and I wonder if that particular acronym has fallen out of favor.
This book offers so much to both the nurse who wants to learn more about the history of the nursing profession and to any reader who likes to glimpse into the the past through the shared memories and recollections of various people.
“Rituals & Myths In Nursing” was a 5-star read for me. Times, uniforms, traditions, and practices may have changed, but the kind of people that live and breathe in these histories are the same kind as those that I worked side-by-side with for years. It is this human element combined with its immersive historical backdrop, that makes this book truly a wonderful read.
April 20, 2024
Quite loved this book, full of tales of nursing practice and the changes in it over the years, the trials of being a trainee nurse, and the various disasters that happen, large or small.
I found the contrast between UK terms and practices and those used in Canada interesting - I think we got rid of the Nightingale wards earlier here, and I have never heard of cardboard bedpans!!
In any case, the book is a very engaging discussion of nursing, mainly from the 20’s to the present, with more of a focus on recent years (the 80’s, etc, which I now realize isn’t THAT recent…). Lots of interesting details about treatments, some fun stories of funny incidents, and an overall light look at everything.
There’s a bibliography that I’ll also be exploring as I write the sequel to my nursing history fiction book, but there’s lots of meat here to add details to my character’s life. An excellent addition to anyone interested in nursing history. Thank you, Claire Laurent!
Ps: you can also find the origin of the name Sam Gamgee, for all you Tolkien fans!
I found the contrast between UK terms and practices and those used in Canada interesting - I think we got rid of the Nightingale wards earlier here, and I have never heard of cardboard bedpans!!
In any case, the book is a very engaging discussion of nursing, mainly from the 20’s to the present, with more of a focus on recent years (the 80’s, etc, which I now realize isn’t THAT recent…). Lots of interesting details about treatments, some fun stories of funny incidents, and an overall light look at everything.
There’s a bibliography that I’ll also be exploring as I write the sequel to my nursing history fiction book, but there’s lots of meat here to add details to my character’s life. An excellent addition to anyone interested in nursing history. Thank you, Claire Laurent!
Ps: you can also find the origin of the name Sam Gamgee, for all you Tolkien fans!
February 13, 2024
This book was at once highly educational and oddly comforting, much like Call the Midwife in book form! Laurent provides detailed information about the changing rituals and myths of nursing, largely over the last century, while also providing a great insight into the day-to-day work of a nurse. The stories range from the gross to the touching, the tragic to the comic, and feature heartwarming characters including doting ghosts and drunken sailors. I would have loved to know what the author thought about the possible future of nursing within a conclusion, merely out of curiosity!
June 6, 2026
As a nurse for the past 30 years it is still fascinating how some of these myths persist even today. I remember teaching student nurses the importance of pillow cases facing away from the doors and even in my earlier days of being a military student nurse being faced with the bed making rituals and having the patients already ‘on parade’ for the consultants round. Good book and interesting read.
September 29, 2024
Journeying down memory lane
A most interesting book comparing nurse practice down through the decades. I could relate to almost everything. Every page resurrected more instances of how things used to be
A most interesting book comparing nurse practice down through the decades. I could relate to almost everything. Every page resurrected more instances of how things used to be
July 21, 2022
The book was entertaining and interesting during the first half, but afterwards I lost interest and it became very boring. However, I will keep it in my library for reference.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews