Dora Finch
Dora Finch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1877 Blackheath, Kent, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1943 |
| Occupation(s) | British Nurse and Matron |
| Honours | Royal Red Cross |
Dora Finch, RRC, (1877–1943[1]) was a British nurse. She served as matron of the central London teaching hospital University College Hospital for 21 years[2] and was prominent in the development of the nursing profession in the UK.
Early life and nursing career
[edit]Finch was born in Blackheath, Kent to Louisa and Robert Finch (a general practitioner); she was one of seven children.[3]
Finch trained as a nurse first at St Helen's Cottage Hospital , Merseyside (1888-1886) and then at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London (1888–91) under the matronship of Isla Stewart.[4] She joined the British Nursing Association (founded by Mrs Bedford Fenwick) registering on their roll of nurses as number 331 in 1890.[5] Her first appointment was as night superintendent, the Metropolitan Free Hospital, Kingsland Road before returning to St. Bartholomew's Hospital as sister of St. Luke's Ward.[4] She was known as a much loved sister and a member of the St. Bartholomew's Hospital League of Nurses.[6]
Later nursing career and activities in national nursing organizations
[edit]In 1899 Finch took up the position of matron of the New Hospital for Women, Euston Road (later the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson & obstetric Hospital) and was elected a member of the Matron's Council for Great Britain and Ireland , an organization committed to the training and registration of nurses.[7]
In 1901 she was appointed matron of University College Hospital (UCH)[4] where she remained until her retirement in 1922.[2] During this period she strengthened the model of training for nurses such that she was credited with attracting the attention of the Rockefeller Foundation to UCH.[2] She inaugurated a League of Nurses in 1909,[2] which continues as a UCH nurses charity
In 1916 she was among the first to register her nursing qualification with the College of Nursing Ltd (later the Royal College of Nursing).[8] This register was subsequently built on by the new General Nursing Council after the Nurses Registration Act in 1919. During World War 1 she was appointed Principal Matron of the London General Hospital Territorial Forces Nursing Service[9] and in 1917 awarded the Royal Red Cross for her contribution to civilian nursing.
Following her retirement from UCH , Finch was appointed secretary to the registrar of the new General Nursing Council but did not take up the position following controversy and claims of nepotism.[10]
She died in UCH on February 4, 1943. Following a requiem mass at St. Mary Magdalene, Munster Square, NW1 she was cremated at Golder's Green.
Honors and awards
[edit]In 1917 Finch was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her contribution to civilian nursing.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Deaths". The Times. 5 February 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d Merrington, W.R (1976). University College Hospital and its Medical School: a History. London, UK: Heinneman. pp. 258–260.
- ^ The Census , England and Wales , 1881 , Parish of Greenwich p5 RG11/725 . Accessed via Ancestry 5 August 2023
- ^ a b c "Appointments". The Nursing Record and Hospital World. 1899. p. 112. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ "Dora Finch". Pioneering Nurses, King's College London Archive. 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ "The League of St. Bartholomew's Nurses". The Nursing Record. 24 (632): 380. 12 May 1900 – via Women's Studies Archive.
- ^ ""The Matrons' Council."". The Nursing Record. Vol. 22, no. 576. 15 April 1899. p. 294 – via Womens Studies Archive/Royal College of Nursing archives.
- ^ The College of Nursing Ltd (1921). The Register of Nursing August 1916 - March 31st 1921. London: Ash & Co. Ltd. , Southwark SE1. p. 173.
- ^ a b "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 28 MAKCH, 1917. 3077" (PDF). London Gazette. p. 13. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ ""Remarks."". The Nursing Record. Vol. 70, no. 1831. 5 May 1923. p. 285. Retrieved 7 August 2023 – via Womens Studies Archive/Royal College of Nursing Archive.