TRAINEE NURSE'S NOTEBOOK
c. 1907Squarish, hardcover exercise book with black linen tape on spine, marbled brown and cream pattern on cover and lined pages inside.
The book contains hand written nursing notes by Nurse O'Driscoll. The handwriting on the inside cover reads: 'Nurse O'Driscoll, Perth Hospital, Murray St'. The book also contains poems written by Nurse O'Driscoll entitled 'Fagged Out' (Night Duty), 'Six O'Clock in the Morning' (Day Duty) and 'What is Useful is Beautiful'.
Details
Details
Handwriting on the inside cover reads: 'Nurse O'Driscoll, Perth Hospital, Murray St'.
The poem titled “Fagged Out” reads:
I want to let go -------
To drop the whole thing.
The worries the frets,
The sorrows the sins;
Just to let myself down
On the bed or the ground,
Anywhere so long as it’s down ---------
And let myself go, ---- -----
And the folks? I don’t care!
And my business - the same ------
Hell and Heaven! Too tired
I want to forget, & I don’t want to say
What I want to forget
And I don’t want to think.
Just to let down my nerves,
Just to smooth out my brain,
Just to sleep & that’s all;
Please leave me alone,
With your pillows & things
Tisnt’ that, that I want.
Nor a doctor nor folks;
I just want to let go!
Oh! I want to let go -------
Oh! I want to let go!
Night duty
10.11. 07
Formal nursing training commenced at Perth Public Hospital in 1896. Nurse Driscoll is among the very early qualified nurses in Western Australia.
Australia
This item is of historical, social and scientific significance associated with nursing. It is rare and contains a trainee nurse's handwritten poems in response to night duty ('Fagged Out') and day duty ('Six O'Clock in the Morning') written between 1904 and 1907 when she was a trainee at Perth Public Hospital. It is a very personal account illustrating the long hours and harsh conditions nurse's were subjected to.
