Rosalie Dreyer facts for kids

Rosalie Dreyer (born September 3, 1895 – died May 21, 1987) was a very important nurse and manager. She was born in Switzerland but later became a British citizen. When she was 18, she moved to England and trained to be a nurse. She worked her way up to become a top leader in nursing for the London County Council. This was a time when nursing was changing from a volunteer job to a real profession. Rosalie Dreyer helped create Britain's public nursing service, which is paid for by the government.

Early Life and Training

Rosalie Dreyer was born on September 3, 1895, in Bern, Switzerland. Her parents were Elisabeth and Johann Dreyer. She was the oldest of four sisters. Her father managed a dairy business.

After finishing school, Rosalie moved to England in 1914. She worked as a nanny for a Swiss family living there. In 1918, she began her nurse training at Guy's Hospital in London. She officially became a registered nurse in 1922.

A Career in Nursing Leadership

After becoming a nurse, Rosalie worked for a year as a private nurse. In 1923, she went back to Switzerland to work at a hospital for people with tuberculosis. She returned to England in 1924 and worked at Guy's Hospital again. While there, she also studied to become a midwife, finishing her training in 1926.

In 1931, she became an assistant matron at Guy's. A matron is a senior nurse who manages a hospital or nursing service. Three years later, she became the matron at Bethnal Green Hospital. This hospital was managed by the London County Council (LCC), a big local government body in London. In 1934, Rosalie Dreyer became a British citizen.

Leading During Wartime

In 1935, she was promoted to principal matron at Bethnal Green. This meant she was in charge of all nursing management there. In 1940, she took over as the main leader for all nurses in the LCC system. This happened at the start of World War II. Some people wanted her removed because she was born in Switzerland, but the LCC supported her and kept her in the job.

During the war, she visited hospitals that had been bombed during The Blitz, which was a time of heavy bombing in London. She decided which hospitals needed to be emptied. If a hospital had to close, she organized moving patients, nurses, and equipment to safer places. Later, she helped them return.

Improving Nursing Standards

The LCC hired nurses for their entire system, not just one hospital. This meant Rosalie was in charge of about 11,000 nurses! She worked hard to make nursing a more respected and professional job. This was a challenge because she had to balance the need for good training with the need for enough staff. Before World War II, many nurses were volunteers, so training and equipment varied a lot between hospitals. During the war, with more people needing care, Rosalie had to make tough choices about whether training or helping people right away was more important.

After the War

In 1948, Rosalie Dreyer became the Chief Nursing Officer. She helped combine the LCC Nursing Service with the new National Health Service (NHS). The NHS is Britain's public healthcare system. She was also the first president of a group for state-enrolled nurses.

After two years, she left the NHS but continued to help manage hospitals. She also worked for the World Health Organization (WHO). As a nursing adviser, she visited European countries affected by the war. She helped the WHO plan how to rebuild nursing services in those areas. She continued to work on hospital management boards until 1964.

Death and Legacy

Rosalie Dreyer passed away on May 21, 1987, in London. She is remembered as a pioneer who helped create Britain's public-funded nursing service. She played a key role in making nursing a respected profession in the country.