What do you think?
Rate this book
The Great Ormond Street Nurse:The Life of a Trainee Nurse at GOSH in the 1960's
“You must learn to hold in your feelings,” Matron said, firmly but not unkindly. “One day it will be your duty to support the family and other staff through this tragedy. You need to be strong.” From the first time Vanessa Martin sets foot inside the world’s most renowned children’s hospital, she knows that she will never have another dull moment. From her first confrontation with the legendary matron, to consoling hordes of worried parents and caring for the wonderful bundles of joy themselves, Vanessa enters a world full of laughter, heartache and, most importantly, hard work. In this heartwarming memoir of a passionate, determined young woman trying to help as many children as she can, Vanessa pulls back the curtain on the bustling world of 60s London, and tells the remarkable story of finding her place within it. Nostalgic, charming and full of heart, The Great Ormond Street Nurse is the heroic tale of a woman who has dedicated over 40 years to the NHS.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 23, 2022
No sooner was this book published than l had bought it. Why? Because l spent three and a half weeks in Great Ormond St in the 1960's after having cardiac surgery.
Subsequently l visited numerous times as an out patient.
In a way the title is a misnomer because the book isn't just about the author's life as a nurse at GOS: we follow her as she marries and works in a number of hospitals in London and elsewhere. Vanessa's husband John was a parish priest in Bermondsey and the book touches on the poverty in the East End. She and her husband ran youth groups and did what they could to make the lives of young people there, better, if only for a short time.
At the same time this was like visiting a much loved old friend, the wards and staff of GOS who saved my life. I confess l whizzed through the first chapters to see if Vanessa worked on Ward 1A and what she made of it- yes she did and there's even a photo of a patient sitting in bed. I remember those beds and the big plastic smelly oxygen tent!
This book describes the positive advances in medicine and with a keen and critical eye the changes over the years in the way in which hospitals are administered.
Will it appeal to everyone? No of course not. But to me it was a joy and a welcome change of direction after having read Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem".
Subsequently l visited numerous times as an out patient.
In a way the title is a misnomer because the book isn't just about the author's life as a nurse at GOS: we follow her as she marries and works in a number of hospitals in London and elsewhere. Vanessa's husband John was a parish priest in Bermondsey and the book touches on the poverty in the East End. She and her husband ran youth groups and did what they could to make the lives of young people there, better, if only for a short time.
At the same time this was like visiting a much loved old friend, the wards and staff of GOS who saved my life. I confess l whizzed through the first chapters to see if Vanessa worked on Ward 1A and what she made of it- yes she did and there's even a photo of a patient sitting in bed. I remember those beds and the big plastic smelly oxygen tent!
This book describes the positive advances in medicine and with a keen and critical eye the changes over the years in the way in which hospitals are administered.
Will it appeal to everyone? No of course not. But to me it was a joy and a welcome change of direction after having read Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem".
April 13, 2026
The changing face of nursing.
Of all the "revolutions" I've seen in almost eight decades, one of the most dramatic has been the change in medical care. Many improvements came out of WWII, with the flood of sick and wounded soldiers. Both gratitude for their service and the need to patch them up and get them back into battle meant governments spent money on military health care, which translated to better care for civilians.
The Cold War pushed technological advances as countries competed for military and economic power. The "Race for Space" poured billions of dollars into scientific research and led to better medical equipment and techniques. Political and social changes promoted the concept of health care as a basic human right.
This author's training coincided with the beginning of England's National Health Service. It's been harshly condemned, but it made health care available to working class families for the first time. The Great Ormand Street Paediatric Hospital started as a charity, but became a health care center respected all over the world.
The confined lives of trainee nurses at the time wouldn't fly now, but they reflect the traditional attitude toward young women. Schools had strict rules to "protect" their students or parents wouldn't have sent their daughters there. There was less emphasis on classroom time and more on patient-care experience. In other words, trainee nurses were a convenient source of slave labor!
She has stories of human interest about her patients and their families, her fellow students, and the rest of the hospital staff. She was also a participant in a fast-moving revolution which introduced new medical equipment and techniques at phenomenal speed. It must have been an exciting time for an intelligent young woman with a vocation for nursing.
Being a graduate of the Great Ormand Street Hospital Nursing School conferred great prestige. The program admitted only a few of the many applicants and the training was rigorous. She also worked (both before and after graduation) at other hospitals, which gave her a broad view of medical care at the time.
She was a pace-maker, being one of the first nursing students to marry during training. Traditionally, the job market (even teaching and nursing) was closed to married women. She met a young divinity student and managed to talk her superiors into letting her finish her course as "Nurse Martin."
Her husband served in poor parishes and she worked as an unpaid social worker, helping people access medical care, housing, and other services. She continued to work in nursing periodically, with interruptions to give birth to and raise three children. Her energy amazes me.
It's a long book, but I loved it. She's a talented story-teller and her likable personality is as admirable as her energy and dedication to her patients. While it was an exciting time, rapid change brings its own stress. She had to be confident, persistent, and (sometimes) sneaky to make a difference. Her life mirrored many of the changes I experienced on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, so her story has meaning for me.
I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in health care and anyone who loves a good story. All nurses have wonderful stories, but few can tell them as entertainingly as she does. She was the nurse ALL of us want at our bedside when we're in pain and (usually) frightened. Her patients were lucky to have her. I feel lucky to have read her book.
Of all the "revolutions" I've seen in almost eight decades, one of the most dramatic has been the change in medical care. Many improvements came out of WWII, with the flood of sick and wounded soldiers. Both gratitude for their service and the need to patch them up and get them back into battle meant governments spent money on military health care, which translated to better care for civilians.
The Cold War pushed technological advances as countries competed for military and economic power. The "Race for Space" poured billions of dollars into scientific research and led to better medical equipment and techniques. Political and social changes promoted the concept of health care as a basic human right.
This author's training coincided with the beginning of England's National Health Service. It's been harshly condemned, but it made health care available to working class families for the first time. The Great Ormand Street Paediatric Hospital started as a charity, but became a health care center respected all over the world.
The confined lives of trainee nurses at the time wouldn't fly now, but they reflect the traditional attitude toward young women. Schools had strict rules to "protect" their students or parents wouldn't have sent their daughters there. There was less emphasis on classroom time and more on patient-care experience. In other words, trainee nurses were a convenient source of slave labor!
She has stories of human interest about her patients and their families, her fellow students, and the rest of the hospital staff. She was also a participant in a fast-moving revolution which introduced new medical equipment and techniques at phenomenal speed. It must have been an exciting time for an intelligent young woman with a vocation for nursing.
Being a graduate of the Great Ormand Street Hospital Nursing School conferred great prestige. The program admitted only a few of the many applicants and the training was rigorous. She also worked (both before and after graduation) at other hospitals, which gave her a broad view of medical care at the time.
She was a pace-maker, being one of the first nursing students to marry during training. Traditionally, the job market (even teaching and nursing) was closed to married women. She met a young divinity student and managed to talk her superiors into letting her finish her course as "Nurse Martin."
Her husband served in poor parishes and she worked as an unpaid social worker, helping people access medical care, housing, and other services. She continued to work in nursing periodically, with interruptions to give birth to and raise three children. Her energy amazes me.
It's a long book, but I loved it. She's a talented story-teller and her likable personality is as admirable as her energy and dedication to her patients. While it was an exciting time, rapid change brings its own stress. She had to be confident, persistent, and (sometimes) sneaky to make a difference. Her life mirrored many of the changes I experienced on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, so her story has meaning for me.
I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in health care and anyone who loves a good story. All nurses have wonderful stories, but few can tell them as entertainingly as she does. She was the nurse ALL of us want at our bedside when we're in pain and (usually) frightened. Her patients were lucky to have her. I feel lucky to have read her book.
September 23, 2024
Martin gives personal insight to the practice of UK nursing from her early 1960s pediatric education through the recent past. Her narrative adds a primary source, firsthand account to the history of the "ordinary nurse".
As a US nurse I found the comparisons and contrasts between UK and US especially interesting. Of note are the tidbits on how a "universal" healthcare system negatively (e.g., locked in salaries) and positively impacts the practice of nursing.
As a US nurse I found the comparisons and contrasts between UK and US especially interesting. Of note are the tidbits on how a "universal" healthcare system negatively (e.g., locked in salaries) and positively impacts the practice of nursing.
April 7, 2024
this was really good!! and definitely stood out from the other medical memoirs i’ve read this year which is a great thing!! i loved learning about how nursing was experienced when the nhs was first established & how it changed over vanessa’s career as a nurse! the pictures were great & i think she treated the children’s stories with the care and respect they deserved
December 9, 2025
A very nice book, which was written about a nurse who trained in 1960s London.
it covers here career and a bit of home life from training as a student to moving to Sheffield. Clearly a great person I just thought it would have been better with more reflection, how was it balancing career and family, how did she medicine changing better or worse, why are consultants so difficult
it covers here career and a bit of home life from training as a student to moving to Sheffield. Clearly a great person I just thought it would have been better with more reflection, how was it balancing career and family, how did she medicine changing better or worse, why are consultants so difficult
July 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book as it gave me an insight into the nursing profession hust as im commencing my own nursing journey. Vanessa has had an extraordinary career and truly sounds a very fascinating lady as wel as an excellent nurse. I hope there will be another book!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews