What do you think?
Rate this book
Great Ormond Street Hospital Nurse: The life of a trainee nurse at GOSH in the 1960s
“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.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2022
15 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 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".
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 - 5 of 5 reviews