IT is almost 60 years since Bowral woman Nancy Reynolds began her career as a nurse.
And she is the first to concede there have been a lot of changes in nursing and medicine in general since she began training in Sydney in 1950.
Miss Reynolds’ career spanned more than 40 years including 34 years as the matron at Bowral and District Hospital until she retired in January 1990.
She said that she often heard people criticise changes in nursing and medical care including the quicker release of patients from hospital and a presumed loss of connection between patients and their hospital carers.
But as far as Miss Reynolds is concerned the changes are the result of great medical advancement, better equipment and extensive and ongoing training which has resulted in a much more effective patient treatment.
“The good old days were good in many ways, but there is also alot of good in medicine today especially as far as advancements in treatment and equipment are concerned,” she said.
Miss Reynolds said that when she started her career the role of a nurse was mainly to manage the running of the hospital, order pharmacy supplies and equipment, and generally keep patients comfortable.
“We weren’t allowed to resuscitate a patient or even take their blood pressure,” she said.
“These days nurses do this and more - they put in intravenous drips and manage acute care of patients.”
Miss Reynolds said that patient stays in hospital for many conditions and surgeries were much longer in years gone by.
“In the so called good old days the average length of stay in hospital was 10 days, while these days the average length of stay is 2.4 days,” she said.
“This is not because of a reduced level of care, but rather the result of incredible advancements in medicine and technology.
“When I was nursing, a patient who had their cataracts done needed to lay flat on their back for two weeks with their eyes closed and there head between two sand bags - these days cataract treatment requires the patient to lie flat for 20 minutes and they are allowed to go home within four hours.
“A gall bladder removal would once see patients in hospital for two weeks while these days they can go home within two-three days.”
Miss Reynolds is quick to defend the “often presumed loss of connection” between nurses and patients in hospitals.
She said this was largely a result of the quick patient release in recent years.
“When I first started nursing we got to know the patients, who were in hospital convalescing for several days or even weeks, while we were dusting their lockers,” she said.
“Nurses are generally still very compassionate and caring, but these days they don’t get as much time with patients - the ultimate goal has always been to get patients well enough so that they can go home and that is happening much quicker these days.”
Miss Reynolds said the structure of the hospital and staffing had changed significantly since she first started working at Bowral and District Hospital in the late 1950s.
“When I started in Bowral there were 85 beds, all the local general practitioners had visiting rights, there were no specialists or resident medical staff, no maternity or specified casualty section, no private hospital or nearby nursing homes and no area health service.
“The hospital was run by a board of directors with the support of the nurses and the doctors.
“The doctors were dependent on us and we were dependent on them and there was a special, close bond between all.
“It wasn’t a pre-requisite, but none of the nurses in the early days were married and we all lived in the nurses home on the hospital premises.
“It was like a community within the community and the nurses’ home was the hub of social life for all.
“The hospital staff would play hockey and football against the doctors and we would all get together for balls, fetes and other activities to raise money which was then used to buy more equipment for the hospital.”
Miss Reynolds said one of her proudest achievements during her career was her involvement in the ongoing education of nurses.
She said the Bowral and District Hospital was long used as a training hospital, but recruitment for the Bowral training program stopped in 1976 as plans began for the Illawarra School of Nursing.
Miss Reynolds was on the board of directors for the Illawarra-based school, which opened in 1979, first at the Wollongong College of Advanced Education and later at Wollongong University.
She said advancement in medicine and technology brought about the need for improved education of nurse.
“It is now at a point that nurses are constantly studying to keep on top of the career,” she said.
“I’m a great supporter of the educational system in nursing, but I would also like to see a little more time spent on clinical situations.”
However, she concedes that if she was about to head into the work force today nursing would still be her career of choice.