Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario on Halloween, 1890, Helen Gardner was the youngest of eight children. Encouraged by her widowed mother to make the most of her abilities, Helen decided to become a nurse.
Canadian hospitals did not provide the quality education necessary for nurses to fulfill the complete caregiver role. With her family doctor’s recommendation, Helen applied for training at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York. It was a school renowned for its superior training program.
Canadian Helen Gardner and Nurses' Training
A successful applicant, Helen began her studies there in October, 1909. The three-year course (twelve-hour days with Sundays off) consisted of studies and experiential work, plus solid groundwork in chemistry and related subjects at nearby Columbia University.
She worked briefly in the children’s medical ward at St. Luke’s after graduation, then returned to Canada to help her dying mother.
Medical Facility in England
At the outbreak of World War I, Helen volunteered for overseas duty. In the company of fifty or more nurses, she departed from Montreal on a troop transport ship that travelled the northern route to Liverpool, England. Canadian Nursing Sisters were nicknamed the "bluebirds," because of their blue dresses and white veils.
Medical personnel at the military hospital at Nottingham comprised one nursing sister, a voluntary aid, and an orderly in a ward of thirty-five patients. A balcony was utilized to accommodate extra patients.
Surgical Procedures
Even the strongest among the medical people were, at the beginning, almost overpowered by the number of casualties, the severity of the injuries, and the surgical procedures. Young men, their hips blown away by shrapnel, suffered extreme agony.
Circular amputations were often performed. Tortured victims of mustard and chlorine gases arrived with terrible regularity as did patients suffering from trench foot, an extremely painful condition.
One evening during her rounds, Helen observed that one soldier’s severe leg wound was throbbing and the man was suffering progressive muscle spasms. He was scheduled to receive an anti-tetanus injection the next day. She informed the doctor who examined the patient then immediately administered the injection.
He later commended Helen for her astute observations that likely saved the man’s life. As soon as patients could be safely moved they were transferred to convalescent hospitals so that room would be available for the steady stream of injured personnel.
Air Raids and Working Conditions
To Helen, the night-time Zeppelin raids were ‘a special terror’. No lights could be used, and if a fresh convoy of wounded needed immediate attention the work proceeded with great difficulty.
Fireplaces did not provide adequate heat or comfort. Chilling dampness was the norm. When the freshly-mopped cement balcony floor froze over, staff members slid its length. As a result of wearing rubber gloves in that climate, many medical people developed a condition called chilblains.
It produced itching and burning, and ulcers similar to those of second-degree burns. Applications of tincture of iodine or spirits of wine were gently rubbed on unbroken blisters. Otherwise, cleansing, smooth ointments, and dressings were used.
When her customary good health failed and she was diagnosed as anemic, Helen was ordered in late November, 1917 to return to Canada for rest and rehabilitation. Nurse Helen Gardner continued her nursing career for many years.
Often, while speaking of that time, she paused and quietly said, “Terrible, terrible.”
Source:
Author's personal interview and conversations with Miss Gardner
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