Tin hats and stone hot water bottles: Reactions to war-time nursing memories

Joy McCliskie worked as a nurse at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital from 1940-1948.

During her time at the ROH Joy worked on the wards and in the later years in the Outpatients department, then located on Broad Street. 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, two nurses currently working at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, react to Joy’s memories working 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.

Now 101 years old, Joy is a resident at Mercia Grange, a Care UK care home. 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.”

While the daily roles of nurses may have changed over the decades, nursing remains the lifeblood of the NHS. Our 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.