World War I nursing stories unveiled by Royal College of Nursing

A new online resource will showcase the stories of nine 'forgotten' World War I, the Royal College of Nursing has announced. The project has been made possible by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). 

The resource will include scrapbooks, photographs and diaries, which together will link the stories of the Great War nurses to nurses serving in modern-day conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Nurse, poet and performer Molly Case will be the RCN's writer in residence during the project, creating new material inspired by the stories, and leading creative writing workshops.

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Sarah Chaney, RCN Audience Engagement Manager, said: “This unique project will breathe new life into long-archived artefacts.

“These diaries and scrapbooks reveal so much about the nurses who created them, and it will be fascinating to uncover what life was like for those caring for others during the First World War.

“This is about more than history, it is about storytelling, which is why we’re so excited to welcome Molly Case as our first ever writer in residence. As a nurse and poet she can draw together the intricacies of nursing with the magic of words to inspire a whole new generation of nursing stories.”

For more on the Royal College of Nursing, visit their website.

(Image copyright Royal College of Nursing)