Student Nurse Patricia Knapman

At Heatherwood 1951-1955

Pat came from her home in Torquay to be a student nurse at Heatherwood in 1951. Chosen because she could start to train at 16 years old, rather than wait for her 18th birthday as required for general nursing. In spite of homesickness she enjoyed the life.

Training Finals

Pat passed her finals in 1954 and On Feb 28th 1955 she moved to St Charles hospital, Ladbroke Grove to train in general nursing. She qualified as S. R. N. in 1957 and was at last able to receive her Orthopaedic Certificate and have S. R. NO. N. C. after her name. Something she was proud of.

1957 Family Time

Patricia's Husband writes:- We married that year. The arrival of our first child meant it was time to leave the profession to concentrate on caring for our family.

Not always just family, as she continued to look after a long list of friends and neighbours as long as she was able up to her early eighties!

She always thought of others before herself right up to May 2025 when she passed away.
I feel privileged to have spent 72 years with her. 68 of them as a married couple.

Training

Training for Patricia as an SRN nurse was at St Charles,Ladbroke Grove.

Welcome to Heatherwood 1951-1955
Former Junior Nurse Patricia Knapman

During Patricia's time on night shifts,she was moved to put down some words about a typical night shift on the wards.

Ode On The Heatherwood Night Nurses by Pat Knapman.

We are the night nurses and start at eight ,We have our breakfast and dare not be late.

Bedpan gowns, we then don and quickly sit the patients on Bedpan's large, bedpans small. bedpans? we use them all!!.

Next we straighten rubber macks then we rub the patients backs big ones, small ones square & round one by one away,we pound.

One by one they fall asleep. then away from them we creep, waiting for the time to go oh! it goes so very slow.

At half-eleven or 12 0'clock.It's dinner time right on the dot we hurry off to get a feed What greets us?!! fish, spuds! a mashed up swede.

The sweet, it's just as good some rice or semolina pud followed by some cups of tea oh!I wish my mum could cook for me.

After this we have two hours to iron marks or perhaps do flowers Then the two am report we write on what has happened in the night.

Now it's nearly time for tea I hope the others wait for me To go and eat what we desire & then to sit before the fire.

we've had the time we can afford & now we go back to the ward, we listen to the patients mutter awhile, we spread the bread & butter.

At five fifteen we fill the pot,leave the bedpans to get hot till half past five when on with lights Then tea. I hope the patients "had good,nights".

Once 5:30 comes along we start our work with many first the bowls than the ? pans then we stop to wash our hands.

Next the temperatures we record see we have a tidy ward. them if time, with the patients we spent till 7Am. when we give our report.

We are the night - nurses Night after night away we slave But do we mind?! do we shirk?!! Do!!! we really love our work!.

Heatherwood Hospital

Do you have any recollections of Heatherwood ?
If So we would dearly love to hear from you.
If you have any memorabilia or stories to tell:-