5
Paediatrics
In 1914 parents were discouraged from visiting their sick child in hospital . Today , parents are encouraged to be part of the team working to make their sick child well . They can stay in the hospital and are part of the decision making process .
Early Life in the Children ’ s Ward
Ruby Bruning ( Johanson ), Patient , 1920 ’ s who would get quite annoyed when she would come up against a bed and her uniform would crinkle .
My brother was also in the hospital . He had a broken leg from a fight he ’ d had at school or something like that and he was in the next bed to another boy in the Children ’ s Ward . This other boy was making a lot of fuss and misbehaving and Dr MacDiarmid came in and said to him , “ What are you making all the fuss for ? I opened you up and took your appendix out , polished it with brasso and put it back in again !” He was great with children .
My name is Ruby Bruning , nee Johanson . I was born in Tauranga in 1921 , at the Nursing Home on Cameron Road near 7th Avenue . Later Mrs Simmons had another Nursing Home opposite . When I was about two years old I had pneumonia and had to go to the Cottage Hospital .
At that time , mum and dad were not allowed to
“ Mum and dad were not allowed to visit me as I got too upset visit me as I got too upset to see
them .” to see them so Doctor MacDiarmid bought me sweeties .
What I also distinctly remember is the nurse taking me out in an old wheelchair to feed the hens . At that time I had to take Lanes Emolution to build me up again . The Cottage Hospital was later used as the Nurses ’ Home .
When I was eight years old , I got diphtheria and was again hospitalised in the main hospital . We lived in Devonport Road and mum would walk or ride her bike to visit me . My nurse married Tony Willims who had a menswear shop on The Strand . To fundraise for the hospital , garden parties were held in the hospital grounds , which our family attended , and one year mum won the raffle .
The nurses ’ uniforms were crisp , white starched dresses with starched caps worn on their heads . They wore white stockings and sensible rubber-soled lace-up shoes and a cape ; a different colour cape for different stages of nurse training . The strict matron wore a veil . There was one nurse
Nurses outside the Children ’ s Ward , early 1950 ’ s .
Recollection of Heidi Beers , Patient
There was a time when I found myself quite unexpectedly in a separate small room in Tauranga Hospital . Overwhelmed by mixed feelings and thoughts very much on the other side of the world where I came from - my mother and my brothers . The prognosis was not good , bad actually , and here I was feeling quite alone , not wanting to know , apprehensive and tired - very tired .
Unable to escape , tied to the blood transfusion bottle and unknown attributes around me in this unfamiliar small room . ‘ What am I doing here ? Why am I here , why are there distances !’
Then when I tiredly leant back in the pillows , incredibly - music came floating through the door . I thought I was wrong in hearing it but there it was . I heard the lovely tune of ‘ Edelweiss ’. Some staff member had sat himself outside my door with his guitar and softly played ‘ Edelweiss ’ for me .
9