Edith Smith (nurse)

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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.

Contents

Early life and early nursing career

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

Matron Edith Smith (on left) showing a ward to Queen Elizabeth and King George VI at the opening of the new Westminster Hospital in 1939 . Matron Smith Westminster Hospital 1939.jpg
Matron Edith Smith (on left) showing a ward to Queen Elizabeth and King George VI at the opening of the new Westminster Hospital in 1939 .

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

References

  1. 1 2 Editorial (1981). "People". Nursing Times. 77 (9): 349 – via Women’s Studies Archive/RCN Historical Nursing Journals.
  2. ↑ The College of Nurses Ltd. (1919). Register of Nurses 1916-1919. London. p. 318.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 Langdon-Davies, John (1952). Westminster Hospital 1719-1948. London: John Murray (publishers) Ltd. pp. P141 and p 260.
  4. 1 2 Editorial (1918). "Nursing and the war". British Journal of Nursing. 60 (1567): 254 – via Womens Studies Archive/RCN Historical Nursing Journals.
  5. 1 2 Editorial (1944). "New Year's Honour's". The British Journal of Nursing. 92 (2106): 3. Retrieved 4 Oct 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Fourth Supplement". The London Gazette. 31 December 1943. p. 63. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Home Newa (2 March 1938). "The Westminster Hospital". The Times: 11 – via The Times Digital Archive: Gale.com.
  9. ↑ Editorial (July 1935). "Nursing Echoes". The British Journal of Nursing. 83: 5.
  10. ↑ Editorial (1916). "State Registration and the Nursing College". The Nursing Record. 56 (1461): 10 – via Female forerunners Worldwide/Historical Nursing Journals.
  11. ↑ Editorial (1917). "The Nurses' Insurance Society". Nursing Times. 13 (631): 667. Retrieved 4 Oct 2022– via Womens Studies Archive/RCN Historical Journals.
  12. ↑ Editorial (1938). "The National Council of Nurses of Great Britain" (PDF). The British Journal of Nursing: 324 – via RCN Archive.
  13. ↑ Court Circular (12 June 1947). "Today's Arrangements". The Times. p. 5 – via Times Digital Archive. Gale.com.
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