Nurse training during world war two

SummaryThe previous article in this series considered some of the major characters in nursing and the military background to orthopaedic and trauma care. Nurses have always cared for military personnel and victims of war in the field of conflict, and continue to do so today. However, the world wars of the last century created large numbers of casualties globally. The 1939–1945 war in particular brought war into the lives of ordinary people within the UK, particularly in industrialised cities. Those whom experienced this era are today’s senior citizens, many we see requiring surgery on our orthopaedic and trauma wards. In the following article, Lois Barr reflects on life as a student nurse in Glasgow during these perilous times.