Nursing
Women begun participating in the war in September 1914 after a long struggle with the Australian Government involving women endlessly offering to serve on the front line and ladies feeling guilty as they felt it was their duty to serve their country not only their male companions. Nurses on the front line were usually considered patriotic and devoted to their job because they constantly worked long exhausting hours for the soldiers serving our nation. Again, just the thought of women working on the front line upset the government, considering it to be ‘unladylike’ and ‘only a man’s job.’ Even today women are constricted to the jobs they can have in the military, although now, more women are interested in belonging to the Defence Force, therefore more jobs are being offered out to the women not only in Australia, but all around the world.
Nurses were often made to improvise with the little resources and equipment they had in the war. They also needed to be discrete and on time with many operations and when determining treatments, cleaning wounds and dealing with different infectious diseases.
Nurses were often made to improvise with the little resources and equipment they had in the war. They also needed to be discrete and on time with many operations and when determining treatments, cleaning wounds and dealing with different infectious diseases.
War Hospitals
Hospitals were packed to the rafters with disease and infections coming from each ill soldier therefore it was easy for nurses to become ill themselves, catching contagious viruses and in need of their own care, nurses usually supported each other through these hard times over the total of the four years.
Hospital Ships
Lone nurses would often have to care for 250 patients a night, with only one assistant. These hospital ships were used to transport soldiers to treatment centres and military hospitals. Hospital ships were initially based in Gallipoli as they spent a lot of their time at sea just outside Anzac Cove and sometimes the Greek Island general hospitals.
Nurses on hospital ships spent large portions of their time during war out at sea, usually caring for a large number of soldiers at a time.
Nurses on hospital ships spent large portions of their time during war out at sea, usually caring for a large number of soldiers at a time.
Field Hospitals and General Hospitals
There were also field hospitals staffed by female nurses situated within enemy action and the constant sound of artillery. These hospitals were usually crowded as they were the easiest and closest to access for the injured soldiers on the battlefield. Making them the busiest hospitals on the front line.
Nurses would be under pressure with large amounts of patients and at the same time be anxious and careful with what they do, as they could easily come under fire.
General Hospitals were also filled with patients, as they were easy access, large and had the most staff available. From a general hospital, an injured or ill troop would be transported to a hospital that specialised in their injury. For Example, the specialised hospitals in World War One included:
Nurses would be under pressure with large amounts of patients and at the same time be anxious and careful with what they do, as they could easily come under fire.
General Hospitals were also filled with patients, as they were easy access, large and had the most staff available. From a general hospital, an injured or ill troop would be transported to a hospital that specialised in their injury. For Example, the specialised hospitals in World War One included:
- General Hospitals
- Auxiliary Hospitals
- Stationary Hospitals
- Casualty Clearing Stations
- Hospital Ships