In 1957, the Hospital had only 209 nursing staff for a population of 1,650 in-patients. Approximately half the staff were nursing attendants with little formal training. Most of their knowledge about mental illness and the care of patients came from working on the wards. In 1958, their title was changed from nursing attendants to nursing assistants. The term “assistant” was widely disliked, since they were on the front lines in the units, providing care, giving medication, helping to motivate patients and much more.

A retired nursing assistant from the period recalls, “I started in 1962 as a nursing assistant, for female patients in Porteous Pavilion. You had to be physically and mentally strong, because it was hard work. Many of the patients on my floor were incontinent, so we were always cleaning.

“We were given tremendous responsibilities. I gave patients medicine, and even recall having to calculate and mix the right amount of powdered penicillin.

“ I can also remember being alone at night on a ward of 50 patients. When you were all alone like that, you had to be able to think fast on your feet.

“ If a patient died, we were required to bath and prepare the body, wrap it in a shroud, do the paperwork, and transport the body to the Hospital morgue, which was a little building near the greenhouse…

“But I loved psychiatric nursing and enjoyed motivating the patients. We looked for things that they did well and encouraged them to find strengths and get involved. Back then, we called it remotivation therapy.

“ I didn’t choose this work for the money. My pay was $5 per month until I finished the nursing assistant course, which took me two years. Thank goodness, meals were free and you could room in the Nurses Residence (Moe Levin Centre).”