TWO Royal Orthopaedic Hospital nurses have paid a visit to a retired peer to hear her stories of working at the medical centre during the Second World War.
Joy McCliskie shared her memories of the ROH during the war with two current nurses – Sophie and Helen – at Mercia Grange care home in Sutton Coldfield where she now lives.
The now 101-year-old retired nurse worked at the ROH from 1940 to 1948, first on the wards and then later in the outpatients department which was located on Broad Street at the time.
Much of her nursing career took place during World War II, a very different time to be a nurse than it is today.
Sophie and Helen heard about Joy’s work during those years, from the use of frames for turning spinal patients to warming beds with stone hot water bottles and wearing tin hats when on night duty.
Michael McNelis, home manager at Mercia Grange, said: “Giving older people an opportunity to reminisce is at the heart of everything we do, so when the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital team reached out to us, we were excited to invite them in for a chat.
“Joy’s time with Sophie and Helen brought back many happy memories for her, and we hope it’ll inspire many others to follow in her footsteps.”
Alongside the visit, the pair of ROH nurses have reacted to Joy’s NHS stories in a video available to watch now. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq4hf7FG4nc to hear Joy’s stories firsthand and the current nurses reactions.
While the daily roles of nurses may have changed over the decades, nursing remains the lifeblood of the NHS.
Nurses work incredibly hard to care for the many patients who are treated at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, delivering compassionate care and helping patients regain their mobility, independence and quality of life.
