Q.A. nursing (1978)

this young couple are just leaving a party in the south of England this gerka Soldier is on his way to meet a very important person he is on the other side of the world in Hong Kong this Soldier has little idea of where he is or what is happening for he is in deep sedation a th000 ft above [Music] London another British soldier this time somewhere in Germany is just returning from an exercise private Barnet and his girlfriend in England driving home Lance corporal ran bahad gurung in Hong Kong Corporal Smith on a stretcher in [Music] London tank crewman Hodges in Germany five people separated by time and distance five people with one very special thing in common very shortly each of them for one reason or another will be in a hospital each of these five people will be meeting a very special kind of nurse this is Jane in London Debbie in alter shot Angela in Hong Kong and Rose in Germany the young couple have been brought to casualty at the military Hospital in alers shop Debbie is a member of the team that will tend their injuries if you were involved in a car crash you would be glad to know that you you were in good hands Lance corporal ran bado gurung meets his very important person and Mom and Dad are grateful to Angela for helping their son to get better again Corporal Smith will meet Jane when he recovers consciousness [Music] tank crewman Hodes is being taken to a British military hospital with acute appendicitis he will be cared for by Ruth like the others she is a special kind of nurse a QA two letters that symbolize a unique tradition of devotion and Duty for to be a QA is to be a nurse to the Army a member of Queen Alexandra's Royal Army nursing Corp an integral part of any Military Hospital team wherever it may be whenever illness accident or injury strike down a British serviceman or service woman all their families who are the QA and what makes Army nursing so different from ordinary nursing it was in 19002 that Queen Alexandra gave her name to the core when she became the first president of what was then called Queen Alexandra's Imperial military nursing service but the tradition of army nursing was born nearly half a century earlier in the courage and inspiration of women like Florence Nightingale and that tradition was to flourish through two World [Music] Wars the same self-sacrifice and dedication that Florence Nightingale showed in the Crimea continues to inspire the modern Army nursing Cor and the Army Nurse of today begins her career here the training center at Aldershot for many this first day as a QA might well be the first day away from home the first day of independence but you're by no means alone each course of new recruits will spend 5 weeks in basic training five very busy weeks in which you will find out about Army life and perhaps a few do things about yourself you will find out where you will live the Army makes sure you're comfortable and helps you settle into your new home there's a lot you will want to know about the Army and there's always somebody to help you the QA have their own distinctive uniform each one carefully tailored then you go for the medical to see how fit you are and a nurse needs to be fit healthy for nursing is hard demanding work you might even discover what it's like to be a patient your first experience of nursing training first aid in these first few weeks you grow to understand the Army for now you are part of it and the Army will expect you to know something about soldiers about their lives work and the different places they go during their service one thing is certain you'll discover new friends [Music] perhaps one day these two might find themselves working together overseas for in the Army friendships tend to last [Music] after the first five weeks of training you'll have a lot to remember and a lot to look forward [Music] to this is the real thing an active military Hospital this is where the Practical training Begins for the only way to train as a nurse is to work alongside trained nurses there is no other way to learn to care for others except by actually caring actually nursing but don't imagine that you'll be let loose on real live patients right away you'll have plenty of time to practice in the classroom with qualified teachers to help you your first hospital will have its own School of Nursing if you are training forem State enrolled nurse you will spend four weeks on an introductory course if training for srn state registered nurse this initial course will take 6 weeks and part of the course is to familiarize you with the hospital life to find out who is who that's the consultant surgeon he's an army officer of course just like the QA Ward sister this girl is a staff nurse just one of the careers for which you can train as a QA but today it is possible to enjoy all the personal advantages of the QA life the travel good pay companionship without being a nurse for example this girl is a ward stewardess her job is to make life easier for both patient and nurse by performing all those essential non-nursing tasks if you have your leg in plaster it's not easy to get the phone and it's difficult to eat when your arms are out of action as a ward stward this you are playing a very important part in the welfare of your patients and another non- nursing QA is the medical clerk in any Hospital Administration is a major task so the QA have their own administrative staff this Personnel officer deals with their pay leave accommodation meals and most important welfare as well as assisting in the General Hospital Administration Dental Clark assistants and dental hygienists are two other non-nursing trades you could train for in the qas your first day on the wards so now you're on the way to being a nurse 10 weeks ago you were a civilian anyone today you are a traine nurse someone one and you are someone because you [Music] care remember but even in training you are actually nursing and not always servicemen or women you'll find many civilians in military hospitals but of course this is only the start your training will take 2 years if you're going to be a state enrolled nurse 3 years if you're going to be a state registered nurse but after 6 or 12 months at your first hospital in Britain your training might then take you abroad for instance Hong Kong this is the great advantage of QA life you can travel while you train because a QA nurses wherever there is a British Military Hospital do you remember Angela the QA in Hong Kong she is a pupil nurse that means she's training for State enrollment life for her is busy satisfying and full of variety [Music] la [Music] p [Music] do [Music] I think we might agree that life for Angela is very different Ruth she is a student nurse studying for srn in Germany and when you travel abroad with the QA you're not just a tourist you have the opportunity to learn the language and customs of the country you're working in but no matter where you work and learn your Technical Training is designed to meet the very highest standards of the General Nursing [Music] Council [Music] so after State registration or state enrollment you become a nurse fully qualified fully responsible and leading a very full life a full life both on duty and off duty as well when you are a trained nurse in the QA you gain confidence and maturity [Music] and with the completion of your general training comes the opportunity to continue to study if you wish to gain even more knowledge of nursing perhaps in Midwifery if you are a state registered nurse you can apply for a commission to be responsible ible not only as a nurse but as a leader of other nurses to run your own Ward and at the same time be an army officer as [Music] well [Music] so to be a QA is to be someone different to care for others to care about [Music] others but to be a QA is also to care about yourself not only about what happens to the lives of others but what happens to your own life as well after all caring is what it's all [Music] about