The Nightingale Girls - By Donna Douglas Page 0,22
was time for lunch. Millie immediately made a beeline for Dora, but she was out of the classroom before she could catch her.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough for Lucy Lane, who followed her into the courtyard. ‘I’ve been thinking,’ she said. ‘About us sharing a room—’
‘Then please don’t,’ Millie cut her off sharply, and hurried to the dining block, leaving Lucy standing open-mouthed behind her.
Dora didn’t go to the dining room for lunch, but she returned for the practical session that afternoon. Her defiant expression was back in place, her mouth a tight line. But as Millie edged her way between the other students to stand beside her, she could see the wariness in her green eyes.
The practical sessions took place in a room, which was set up like a small ward with eight beds, a sterilising room and a sluice room. At one end of the ward was a cupboard containing bowls, instruments and linen. Screens and stainless-steel two-tier trolleys were parked at the other end. Large, colourful diagrams of various parts of the human body decorated the walls.
‘Today we will be teaching you how to make a bed, with and without a patient in it,’ Sister Parker announced.
Sister Sutton will be pleased, Millie thought. Maybe if I learn to make my bed properly this time she’ll stop stripping it off every day.
She watched carefully as Sister Parker placed two chairs at the end of the bed. Then she and her assistant began to strip the bed, taking off the sheets and blankets one at a time, folding them in three and draping them carefully over the chairs. As they worked, she kept up a running commentary.
‘You notice how we shake the sheets and blankets as little as possible? That is to avoid creating dust in the air and spreading infection.’ She placed the last blanket over the chairs and surveyed the stripped bed with satisfaction. ‘Now we will show you how to make it,’ she said.
Once again, she and her assistant moved in perfect time with one another, like partners in a graceful dance, drawing the sheet tight, tucking in perfect corners and turning down the counterpane so that it was completely even.
‘You see how we are pulling the sheet tight, so there are no wrinkles?’ She demonstrated with a sweep of her hand. ‘Does anyone know why we need to do this?’
‘So it looks tidy?’ one of the students ventured.
‘Because it prevents pressure sores,’ Lucy piped up.
‘Very good, Lane. Pressure sores are the result of bad nursing, nothing else. While on the wards, we expect you to be absolutely vigilant.’
After the demonstration, the Sister Tutor paired the students up to try it for themselves. Naturally, Lucy Lane put herself forward first. She looked annoyed when Sister Parker paired her with Jennifer Bradley.
‘Poor girl,’ Millie whispered to Dora. ‘I wouldn’t like to be Lane’s partner.’
‘Really? I thought you two were the best of friends,’ Dora replied coldly.
‘Shhh! Quiet, Nurses! You should be watching and taking notes, not gossiping!’ Sister Parker frowned at them.
Lucy already looked every inch the professional nurse in her immaculate uniform, her cap set straight on her smooth chestnut-brown hair. And she performed the whole procedure perfectly, her movements brisk and assured.
Unfortunately she was let down by her partner. Jennifer Bradley was a bag of nerves. Sweat gleamed on her brow as she struggled to keep up with Lane’s fast, fluid movements. By the time they’d finished, it looked as if they’d been fighting on the bed, not making it.
‘Hardly a good first effort,’ Sister Parker tutted. ‘You should learn to work together. It is not only easier on your back, it will also make the whole process much faster and smoother.’
‘That was all your fault,’ Lucy hissed as they rejoined the group and another pair took their place.
‘I – I’m sorry.’ Jennifer’s lip trembled.
‘Leave her alone,’ Millie said.
‘But she was useless!’
‘She was doing her best. You can see she’s nervous.’
‘She shouldn’t be here if she’s not up to it.’
‘If it was up to you, none of us would be here,’ Dora muttered.
‘Nurses, please!’ Sister Parker shot them a warning look. ‘If I hear another word you will all be going to explain yourselves to Matron.’
Lucy glared at Dora, but said nothing.
Sister Parker and her assistant then demonstrated how to make a bed with a patient in it, using Mrs Jones, the life-sized dummy. Millie groaned. She had done battle with Mrs Jones during her previous stint in PTS, and always came off worst.