Hello lovely people,
Happy International Nurses’ Day! Did you even know it’s international nurses day?
Well you should!
- although, in the interest of honesty, I had no idea before starting on this video…
which is in partnership with NHS Professionals!
International Nurses Day takes place on the 12th of May, Florence Nightingale’s birthday,
and has been running since 1965. This year marks 200 years since Florence was born and
has thus been designated by the World Health Organisation as the first ever global Year
of the Nurse and Midwife!
Particularly prescient considering the times we’re in! The pandemic has emphasized to
us all just how vital our medics are, reminding those of us in Britain how much we love our
NHS- and nurses and midwives make up the largest numbers of the NHS workforce! So to celebrate
these highly skilled, multi-faceted and diverse professionals I thought I’d try my hand
at recreating some vintage nurses’ outfits from the last 200 years, whilst running through
the history of nurses uniforms in the UK.
- side note: this is International Nurses Day so if you’re from outside the UK let
me know what nurses uniforms look like in your country in the comments below. I bet
the differences we see around the world are going to be very interesting!
And speaking of international: 18% of nurses in the UK are non-British nationals.
Which is very significant for me because if it weren’t for the opportunities to travel that the nursing
profession provides, neither my wife nor I would even exist!
My Nana, Thelma, was a nurse in the 1930s at the Boston Children’s Hospital in the
US State of Massachusetts but at the outbreak of the Second World War enlisted and was sent
to the European battlefields… where she fell in love across an operating table with
my Papa, who was a surgeon with the British Army. They got married just a few weeks after
they met (in secret because servicewomen weren’t allowed to marry- gasp!)
and then settled in England after the War.
And my lovely wife, Claudia’s, mother Jeannie came from Malaysia to study nursing in the
UK and work for the NHS, where she met Claudia’s father who is an anesthesiologist!
- Thus without the National Health Service and international nurses we wouldn’t have
even come into being!
So let’s get on with our sartorial celebrations!
If you enjoy vintage clothes and history with a side note of screwball medical conditions
then subscribe!
The nurse’s uniform has gone through many, many changes over the last 200 years.
From floor-length dresses and aprons to today’s variety of colourful scrubs, the design has
changed along with our social mores and the changing interests in comfort, functionality
and mobility.
- by the way, if you’re thinking, “wow, this looks like it was filmed in a building
site”, that’s because: it was. The building site... more commonly known as ‘my house’.
Yes, lockdown IS going great, thank you for asking(!) I don’t even miss hot water (!)
Prior to the foundation of modern medicine, nursing was a family obligation so female
family members were expected to know how to tend wounds or care for the sick. Clothing
was not designed for sanitary purposes and they definitely didn’t know anything about
cross contamination! Nuns and monks provided the only structured nursing care to ill and
injured people, along with those who had long term health conditions (although admittedly,
they probably didn’t last too long back in those days).
Into the 19th century, nursing was considered to be lower class and most nurses wore servants’
uniforms, which consisted of a black or printed gown with a cap and an apron.
It wasn’t until Florence Nightingale, a nurse from a wealthy and well-connected but
liberal family, reorganized the care of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War in 1854 that
public opinion of nursing as a profession changed. It had previously been the job of
camp followers (generally wives and prostitutes) to care for the wounded with whatever primitive
means they could.
Florence insisted that conditions for the injured were killing men as fast at the enemy
and demanded clean bandages and bedding, fresh air, nourishing food and trained professionals
to care for them. Through her actions, showing that attending to the wounded while there
was still a chance of treating them could actually make a difference, she saved countless
lives and changed how war-wounded were seen. No longer were they treated as collateral
damage and a grateful public turned Florence into an icon of Victorian culture.
She believed that nursing is a very special type of job that takes a very special type
of person. She wrote, “Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, ir requires
an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work; for
what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do
with the living body, the temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had
almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.”
At this time there were neither appropriate nor inappropriate clothes for nurses and in
many images Florence is simply depicted with an apron tied to her waist. The antibacterial
properties of her dress fabric was certainly not in consideration!
I’ve attempted to recreate a dress Florence might have worn here but you’ll have to
excuse me any era discrepancies since I can’t exactly leave the house to get anything…
for her hair I’ve gone with a popular Victorian style featuring a center parting and loops,
which is what we call the hair draping down on either side of the face. This was meant
to cover the ears then swoop back towards a bun at the back of the head. I’ve also
included a chignon, another very popular Victorian hairstyle, formed by pinning the hair low
into a knot at the back of the head, typically at the nape of the neck. Braids were worn
in the Victorian era by most women who had long, straight hair so I’ve included them here.
If you’d like to see a tutorial for this look in more detail then you can find
it on my Instagram where you’ll eventually see all of this video’s looks.
Make up is, of course, incredibly light, practically non-existent.
I had to draw in my eyebrows tho because... they are not very big.
Or real!
Florence went on to found a nursing school and it was one of her students, Euphemia Van
Rensselaer, who created the first ever nurses’ uniform although nurses had already begun
to wear lighter-coloured gowns with white aprons and caps to indicate that they were nurses.
It was important to have a professional uniform that distinguished trained nurses from those
who were not. This consisted of a floor length, high collared dress, a long apron and a frilly
cap. The cap was a departure from previous looks that more closely aped a nun’s veil.
There were no rules about types of fabric so different hospitals had different styles
but all used colour in some way to mark rank and experience within the nurses.
Bonnets or caps were particularly important as they held back the women’s long hair.
Women of this time period were known for having extremely long hair and the most popular hairstyle
at this time was the Gibson Girl where hair was piled on top of the head.
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram and keep your eye
out for an IGTV tutorial on this look, coming soon.
This look was designed not only for protection against illness but was also considered an
expression of feminine virtue. Nursing was now a respectable job and their dresses were
kept suitably long with very tight waists.
From the 1880s until the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, the uniform changed very little.
It became clear as the war progressed that former styles of nursing uniforms were no
longer practical: nurses needed to be fast and efficient to deal with the vast number
of wounded. Bulky aprons disappeared in favour of more practical styles and skirts were shortened
slightly for better mobility.
Only slightly...
Hair was pulled tightly back, to avoid pathogens and the general
annoyance of trying to work with hair in your face…
- which TV shows always seem to get wrong! They’re constantly trying to battle trauma
cases with hair swinging everywhere!
Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service was the nursing arm of the British
Army and these nurses wore grey dresses with white aprons and large veil-like caps.
Military nurses wore tippets - short, red cape-like garments over the shoulders with badges sewn
on to denote rank. Members of the Reserve wore a cape that was only trimmed in red.
The capes had a stiff Alexandra rose on the back that sat between the shoulder blades
and nurses joked that this was to prevent Sisters falling asleep on night duty
These nurses- commonly known as QAs- ranked alongside officers and were required to be
of “high social and educational standing” along with having completed at least three
years of training in a civil hospital. Due to its royal patronage and the social standing
it conveyed, the service was an attractive occupation for women.
At the beginning of the hostilities there were just under 300 army nurses available
to look after the wounded, with 200 more ready in the reserve. It soon became clear that
this would not be enough and so following the outbreak of war on 4th August 1914, The
Red Cross formed the Joint War Committee with the Order of St John and nearly 9,000 trained
or part-trained nurses were called to the Voluntary Aid Detachments to serve under and
with the QAs although many women had been given only the briefest of training.
Red Cross volunteers had willingly given their time to care for wounded patients but their
lack of experience meant they were not entrusted with trained nurses’ work except in an emergency.
At the start of the war VADs were known to have ‘fluttered the dovecotes of professional
nursing’ due to their enthusiastic desire for the ‘romance of nursing wounded soldiers’.
I mean, that’s called misogyny. But sure.
It was stressed to the women that they were expected to uphold the integrity of the service
and relationships must stay strictly professional. Women were expelled from the service for any
type of romantic relationship with the men, even chaste engagements, and yet these women
who- thanks to Victorian society- had never seen a man in underclothes- were expected
to deal with mutilated, naked bodies.
Although we remember them as heroes today, many officers still felt that women didn’t
belong on the battlefield. Many of the women who volunteered, trained or untrained, declined
a salary and were willing to be dispatched into areas of hostility. Nurses had to prove
themselves over and over again as competent assets to the army who could provide skilled
care that allowed men to rejoin the battlefield rather than be sent home.
QAs were given the rank of officer in order to protect them and make sure their voices
were heard when they were dealing with doctors, other ranks and high command. After tireless
campaigning the Royal College of Nurses was founded in 1916 to establish a professionally
recognised qualification. Medical degrees were also opened up to women for the first
time during the war. Which one of my great aunts took advantage of!
Go her!
Although the VAD’s initial job role had merely been one of support, it was quickly
realised that Red Cross volunteer nurses would play an important role in the War effort caring
for the large numbers of wounded soldiers. Women from aristocratic and upper class families,
used to running large houses and estates with many servants and tenants, were drafted in
by the Red Cross to run field and auxiliary hospitals, a feat at which they excelled.
In her uniform of a long blue cotton dress and a white apron emblazoned with her organisation’s
emblem, the Red Cross nurse became a familiar figure during the war. Many postcards and
propaganda posters sang their praises. Famous women who volunteered for the Red Cross during
the war included Agatha Christie, Vera Brittain, Enid Bagnold and Clara Butt, who was a superstar
of the Victorian era.
There was again not much change in style of nursing uniform until we come to World War
2 army nurses. This late 30s/early 40s uniform was much more practical for the very physically
demanding job of nursing wounded soldiers. It was also more in keeping with the times,
featuring a much shorter hemline and a light blue dress with a pinned apron. The cape worn
over the dress was navy blue on the outside and bright red on the inside with a scarlet
red sash.
I actually have one of those original capes! It was ridiculously hot on the day we filmed
this however, so here is a shot of me in the cape from another day:
Again the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John formed the Joint War Organisation,
offering extensive services for the sick and wounded, including soldiers, prisoners of
war and civilians who needed help as a result of enemy action. The joint organisation created
ambulance departments for transportation of the wounded, established auxiliary hospitals
across the UK and organised volunteers.
This is the closest I can get to the indoor uniform of the British Red Cross Society nurse:
the short sleeved, knee-length light blue cotton dress (should be with a turned collar);
white apron with a red cross sewn on the chest, a dark blue or red belt worn over the apron
(depending on the rank) and a rectangular white headscarf and cap, with a red cross
embroidered on the side. Normally aprons were pinned on with a badge on one side and a fob
watch on the other. We tried pinning a regular watch on but that… was an awful mess.
It wasn’t just for fashion purposes that the dresses were shorter with half length
sleeves. There was a clothing material shortage during World War 2 and supply of fabric was
reserved for the army and the war effort, including the manufacture of bandages. Detachable
sleeves were made use of however.
Excitingly, Field Army nurses, particularly those sent to much hotter or colder climates,
were allowed to wear trousers!
With pockets!
Post World War 2, nursing as a profession continued to grow in popularity and uniforms
continued to change. In 1948 the National Health Service was founded and nursing uniforms
really started to flourish with a range of new styles being introduced. By the 1950s
there was an increased demand for uniforms which could be mass-produced and easily cleaned.
Sleeves became shorter and caps varied from a pill box style to a pointed version. Skirts
and Sleeves became even shorter, keeping with the style of the times.
Fabric became very important as more became known about disinfecting surfaces and carrying
bacteria through fabric. Revolutions in the garment industry introduced synthetic fibers,
which were known to be more hygienic for sanitary uses. The dresses at this time became looser,
less form-fitting and were easier to wash and iron.
Since today is about celebrating nurses AND midwives, I thought I would throw in this
ode to the 1960s and 70s midwife, iconic for being featured on the television show Call
the Midwife. Simple, folded hats- sometimes made of paper- replaced the large, elaborate
crowns worn by nurses previously. Another pivotal change for the nursing profession
was in 1960 when the career was opened to men. Their uniform was much simpler than the
women’s, featuring a white jacket with a high neck.
More people at this time did their laundry with a washing machine which encouraged nursing
uniforms to become even simpler for ease of cleaning.
This uniform continued into the 1970s with little change other than colour: white with
a blue belt, and stripes were worn on nurses caps to show how many years of experience
a nurse had.
Disposable paper caps replaced cotton ones
but by the late 1970s hats began to disappear altogether.
During the 1980s the nurse’s uniform became very standardised and aprons were now disposable
rather than only changed once dirty.
Which, probably a good idea yeah.
The 1990s dress is the one most of us will probably recognise and associate with nurses
in the UK. It was a light blue with white pining and a white belt and no cap!
There had been a certain time in the history of nursing uniforms when the cap was a ubiquitous
part of the nursing uniform. It conveyed status and symbolised a helping hand whilst also
fulfilling the practical function of keeping long hair organised but in the recent past
they have faded away.
No official announcements or rules were passed by hospital authorities to stop the wearing
of caps although issues were brought up around hygiene. Nurses’ caps were made of hard
fabric that was not easy to wash and as a result they were seen as carrying dirt around
the hospital and from outside. Another reason is that due to modern hairstyles, and hair
elastics, the caps just aren’t that practical as they serve no significant purpose. They
were also only worn by female nurses, which was a difficult gender imbalance to navigate.
PLUS, our NHS nurses come from a variety of different backgrounds and represent the diverse
communities in the UK with many choosing to wear head coverings that have a religious significance.
Having a cap be an official part of the uniform would be difficult to navigate!
The nurse’s uniform is now focused on comfort and practicality, which brings us to…
Scrubs!
Yes, I do actually have legs under my skirts. Shocking, I realise (!)
And I’m showing off my Grey’s Anatomy ‘hair all over the place’ look here.
Looks great on TV; not particularly practical!
Trousers are now far more commonplace among female nurses and despite all of the different
looks nurses have gone through over the years the most recognisable version in today’s
NHS is the matching top and trouser set. No more tights or belts, it’s comfortable shoes
all the way! This look is also notably unisex and can be adjusted across all healthcare
trusts as it works in almost any area of the hospital,
often with bands of colours to denote different jobs.
These particular scrubs were borrowed from my wife, who is actually an NHS dentist...
but many nurses wear ones very similar to these.
Sometimes with their hair down!
On TV.
The fob watch has remained throughout the different variations in uniform. Since nurses
have always been discouraged from wearing jewellery which might get caught on patients
or leave their wrists as a vector for disease, the ‘fob’ or pendant watch is considered
synonymous with nursing. Watches are often given as a token rite-of-passage gift from
parents and family to young nurses. So if you or someone you know happens to be going
through training right now, you now know the perfect gift for graduation!
2020 is the perfect time to reflect on the amazing, skilled and committed professionals
who go into nursing and to celebrate not only their willingness to provide expert clinical
care but also the impacts they have on the lives of others.
As someone with a chronic health condition, I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t
for some truly wonderful nurses to whom I can only give my deepest thanks.
And thank you for watching this video on the history of nurses’ uniforms! If you’ve
enjoyed the video please let me know by clicking the like button and leaving a comment down below.
Click through on my end screen now to learn more about NHS Professionals International
Nurses Day Campaign and watch a video about the great work nurses do.
See you next time!