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Nursing practices in Australia have come a long way. And depending on whether you trained in the country, in a major city, or somewhere in between, you likely had a very different experience. Nurses from rural outposts to inner-city hospitals have shared their jaw-dropping, hilarious, and at times shocking memories from a time before digital obs, before disposable everything, and long before OH&S was a household phrase.
Before you scroll — we want to hear from YOU! If you’re a nurse who worked during the “good old days,” we want your stories from the past. Funny, shocking, nostalgic—we’ll take it all. Email your story (we’ll de-identify it!) to: hello@thenursebreak.org
We asked Aussie nurses to tell us about the quirkiest things they actually did during their early careers, and the responses paint an unforgettable picture of nursing history.
Gloves? What Gloves?
“I was emptying a catheter bag in the mid-80s when a patient looked offended that I had gloves on,” one nurse told us.
And that makes sense. Before the AIDS epidemic hit, gloves weren’t part of the routine. Nurses cleaned up bodily fluids barehanded because “gloves made patients feel dirty.” It wasn’t until the mid-to-late 1980s that gloves became more widely accepted—and available.
Imagine scrubbing pans, doing enemas, wound care… all without gloves. It was less about infection control, and more about pride and duty.
Smoking and Brandy… On the Ward
Yes, nurses (and patients) used to smoke on shift. Cigarettes in the breakroom, at the nurses’ desk, and sometimes even during night duty rounds. One nurse told us they would smoke with the patients, especially in psychiatric areas. There were ashtrays next to the obs charts. If it sounds smoky and wild, it was.
Oh, and the brandy. Stored on some of the meds trolley and dished out for sleep, nerves, or the occasional toothache. Some say the nurses took a nip too. Medicinal, of course.
Matron Ruled With a Starched Fist
From the shine of your shoes to the angle of your cap—matron had the final say.
Article coming soon here about ‘Surviving the era of the matron’.
Didn’t wear your petticoat? Sent home. Pillowcase opening facing the hallway? Fix it immediately. Stockings instead of socks—even in Port Hedland’s 40°C heat? Mandatory. One nurse remembers being sent off the ward for not wearing skin-toned tights.
It wasn’t just about rules. Matrons instilled pride and discipline, but occasionally struck fear.
Even job interviews were memorable:
“Are you aware you’ll be working shift work?”
“Do you have your birth certificate?”
“What size uniform do you wear?”“Great. Start Monday.”
Red Rubber Enemas and Boiling Urine
High, hot, and a hell of a lot. That was the soap-and-water enema technique—administered via red rubber hose and enamel can. What a nursing practice that was!
Need to check for protein in the urine? Just boil it. If it went cloudy, bingo.
Diagnostics on a shoestring—but it worked.
Syringes, ECG Cups, and Mercury Everywhere
Reusable everything:
- Syringes and needles were boiled between patients.
- ECG cups had glass suction with leather straps.
- Sputum mugs and urinals were rinsed and reused.
Dropped a glass thermometer? Cue the mercury spill kit—and the mad dash to collect every last bit before it evaporated into your future lung disease.
Tidy Rounds, Trays, and Tea With a Bell
One nurse recalled training at a new hospital in NSW in the 1980s and being rotated to a smaller rural facility for “real hospital experience.” There, staff were summoned for breaks by an actual school bell.
Morning and afternoon teas were free (alternate days of baked goods or cheese and crackers), and dinner preferences were tracked by sweet but firm kitchen staff to ensure nurses got enough vegetables. “It was controlling… in the most adorable way.”
Tidy rounds were daily rituals. Nurses lined up in the corridor holding trays, food was dished from a “hot box,” and lockers and beds were scrubbed, disinfected (carbolised), and reset like clockwork.
Living In: The Nurse Home Years
First-year nurses often had to live on-site in nurse quarters with strict curfews, some had 10:30 pm, some midnight. Miss curfew? Call the wardsman, who’d let you in—and report you.
Male and female nurses couldn’t mingle except in the common room. Many nurses recalled it being like boarding school meets boot camp—complete with uniform checks and shared bathrooms.
Fear the Signature Police
Ever been pulled up for your handwriting? One nurse was hauled into the matron’s office and told:
“Change your signature—I can’t read it.”
Another was called in after writing “horse throat” in her notes instead of “hoarse throat.” Grammar policing: Matron Edition.
The Meal Parade and the Midnight Tea Tray
Tea-making was a junior nurse’s sacred duty. Doilies on trays. Matching cups. Hot water jugs. The works.
And during night shift? A break meant sneaking a biscuit from the med room—or a sit-down tea with the charge nurse, if you’d earned it.
Hospital Dress Codes… on Steroids
- You had to kneel on the floor. If your uniform didn’t touch the ground—you were sent home and docked pay.
- Your uniform never left hospital grounds.
- Aprons, caps, capes, lace-up shoes—all mandatory.
- Never, ever wear your apron in public—it was “dirty.”
- Even your signature was scrutinised.
Final Thoughts: From Bedpans to Brilliance
Today’s nurses work in high-tech environments with instant pathology, eMRs, PPE, and smartphones—but they stand on the foundation built by those who came before.
These stories aren’t just amusing—they’re powerful reminders of the grit, humour, and humanity that have always defined nursing.
So next time you grumble about a wonky obs machine or running out of IV giving sets, just remember: someone before you once boiled urine, reused needles, and scrubbed pans by hand—barehanded.
Top 10 Things Only Vintage Nurses Will Remember
- Smoking mid-chart
- Brandy on the trolley
- Boiling bodily fluids
- Fear of matron’s inspections
- Manual obs, mercury spills
- Curfews and nurse quarters
- Enemas with red rubber hoses
- Signature inspections
- Tidy rounds with doilies
- Wearing petticoats under your uniform—or else
Do You Remember These Days? Did we miss something?
We’re collecting more stories from nurses all over Australia. From country towns to city trauma wards—send your story (funny, shocking, or nostalgic) to:
📧 hello@thenursebreak.org
And don’t worry—we’ll de-identify them for you.
