Edith Smith (nurse)
Edith Smith OBE, ARRC (d. 1980) was a British nurse and matron for over thirty years of a central London teaching hospital ,Westminster Hospital, and as such was prominent in the development of the nursing profession in the UK.
Early life and early nursing career[edit]
Edith Smith trained first in gynaecological nursing in Birmingham in 1903 and then in general nursing at Westminster Hospital, London ,1908-1910.[1] Her name was included on the College of Nurses Ltd Register of nurses in 1917,[2] the precursor to that held by the General Nursing Council
Later nursing career [edit]
Edith Smith was appointed matron to Westminster Hospital London in 1915 and retired in 1947.[3] She was notable for her leadership in the civil nursing service through the World War 1 and World War II, receiving in recognition the Royal Red Cross (second class) in 1918 [4] and Officer of the British Empire award in 1943.[5] [6]The re-development of the Westminster Hospital incorporated a larger nurses' home and training school for nurses.[7] Smith, with other officials welcomed the Prince of Wales, later the Duke of Windsor to lay the foundation stone to the nurses' home,[3] and Queen Mary, mother of King George VI to open the new training school, named in her honour.[8] She was the first president of the Westminster Hospital League of Nurses[9]
Smith was active at a national level in the development of the nursing profession: an invited attendee of 1916 national conference on proposed legislation for State Registration and the Nursing College,[10] an executive member of the Nurses Insurance Society [11] and also The National Council of Nurses of Great Britain.[12]
Her retirement presentation event at the hospital was attended by King George VI and his consort Queen Elizabeth.[13] Edith Smith died in 1980.[1]
Awards[edit]
- Royal Red Cross (second class) in 1918 [4]
- Officer of the British Empire award in 1943.[5][6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Editorial (1981). "People". Nursing Times. 77 (9): 349 – via Women’s Studies Archive/RCN Historical Nursing Journals.
- ^ The College of Nurses Ltd. (1919). Register of Nurses 1916-1919. London. p. 318.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Langdon-Davies, John (1952). Westminster Hospital 1719-1948. London: John Murray (publishers) Ltd. pp. P141 and p 260.
- ^ a b Editorial (1918). "Nursing and the war". British Journal of Nursing April 13, 1918 Women's Studies Archive/RCN. 60 (1567): 254 – via Womens Studies Archive/RCN Historical Nursing Journals.
- ^ a b Editorial (1944). "New Year's Honour's". The British Journal of Nursing. 92 (2106): 3. Retrieved 4 Oct 2022 – via "New Year's Honours." The Nursing Record, vol. 92, no. 2106, Jan. 1944, pp. 3+. Women's Studies Archive.
- ^ a b "Fourth Supplement". The London Gazette. 31 December 1943. p. 63. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ Humble, J. G. (1966-01-15). "Westminster Hospital: first 250 years". BMJ. 1 (5480): 156–162. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5480.156. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1843324. PMID 5322502.
- ^ Home Newa (2 March 1938). "The Westminster Hospital". The Times: 11 – via The Times Digital Archive: Gale.com.
- ^ Editorial (July 1935). "Nursing Echoes". The British Journal of Nursing. 83: 5.
- ^ Editorial (1916). "State Registration and the Nursing College". The Nursing Record. 56 (1461): 10 – via Female forerunners Worldwide/Historical Nursing Journals.
- ^ Editorial (1917). "The Nurses' Insurance Society". Nursing Times. 13 (631): 667. Retrieved 4 Oct 2022 – via Womens Studies Archive/RCN Historical Journals.
- ^ Editorial (1938). "The National Council of Nurses of Great Britain" (PDF). The British Journal of Nursing: 324 – via RCN Archive.
- ^ Court Circular (12 June 1947). "Today's Arrangements". The Times. p. 5 – via Times Digital Archive. Gale.com.