Cape Breton's Magazine

the bath, or feed patients.... Which was very nice. Nice for them, and nice for the hospitals. And then, of course, then nurs? ing changed into registered nurses and certified nursing assistants. So they ob? jected to these volunteers--cheap labour. So they had to cut that out. But now, (Town House is) still giving the basic Home Nursing. It's to be able to judge whether you should call a doctor, or you can give some first aid. (Now, besides training people for home care--am I correct?--you were also a teacher of nurses.) Oh, yes, yes. These Home Nursing things that I did were after I was married. And when I married, of course, I had to leave my job. No married women could have a job. We've come a lit? tle way, haven't we! First one in '38. It's so different. Be? cause, that I got married, this was forev? er. There was no--you didn't hear of any-- nobody got divorced. (When you became a nurse, was that forev? er, did you think?) No. No, I don't think so. No. It was hard times. I wanted to earn a little bit of money, which--I got $75 a month. Not very much. But I--because of the war, I suppose eve? rybody was dragged into community work right away. And because I was associated with Red Cross--and my mother had been, and my mother's friends and whatnot--! got into blood donor clinics. And from that I got into forming what they call a VAD--Volunteer Aids Division. They were volunteers that would go in and do to resign rule was I was married in 1937. And I had my position in the hospital. The that no married woman could hold a posi? tion in a hospital. Period. Whether you needed it or not, didn't make any differ? ence. Whether they had anybody to replace you with. (Whether or not you were excep? tional at your job.) Yes. That had nothing whatever to do with it.... (So, when your husband said to you, "Will you marry me?" he was also saying to you, "Will you give up being a head of nurs? ing?") I suppose--it never entered his mind...and mine, I guess--we knew it. Be? cause this had come up with any stu? dent that left to be married. (I find it hard to believe it never entered your mind.) Well, I was getting then to 27. And if I wanted to marry and have a family--I'm a very practical person. And I could see that if I wanted a family, that I should take the step. I was not going to be anoth er Florence Nightingale that gave my whole life to nursing. Although it seems to me that's what I've done! There is a Difference Le Brignolet L 4' FINE GIFTS j Maritime and Canadian Handcrafts and Souvenirs Folk Art and Country Gifts Quality Brass and Imported Gifts Kitchen and Bath Shop 15 PRINCE STREET SYDNEY BIP 5J4 539-7338 Well then, when the (Second World War) came, and there was a shortage of nurses, they had to come and ask me to go back, so I had to go back for three more years. To keep the school going. Because I had my second child in '42. CATERING TO ALL YOUR HEALTH FOOD NEEDS • Herbal Remedies & Teas • Vegetarian Foods • Free Range Chiclcens & Eggs • Nut Butters • Dairy Free Ice Cream & Cheese • Tofu • Body Care Products • Juices & Grinders • De-Alcoholized Wines & Beer • Bulk Foods tSbsd.au.2Lnq in 'Whsat 'xtt & Ul'aCru 't • ? CPioaucti nana l natuxad fooJi 156 FALMOUTH ST., SYDNEY C/Z'J h(Q' (NEAR CENTRE 200) ' Oi' " / UO J Need a Radiator? Muffler? Shocks? Brakes? RAD-PRO Specializing in Radiator Repair & Recores Heaters Water Pumps, Etc. i FIVE LOCATIONS: Sydney Downtown 562-2300 and Grand Lake Road 564-5547 miDAS JSpecializing in Mufflers Brakes Shocks Springs Antigonish: 863-6090 Port Hawkesbury: 625-3781 New Glasgow: 752-8777