Marjorie Gardener

Gardener was born in London on 22 February 1918.^[1]

Gardener was a talented amateur musician who did not set out to be a nurse. Her plan was to study medicine, but following the death of her father there was no money to pay for medical school. She trained as a teacher at London University and became a licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM).^[2][3] Gardener undertook her general nurse training at the Middlesex Hospital.^[4] She did her midwifery at St Luke’s Hospital, Guildford and at the Sussex Maternity Hospital, Brighton.^[5] She worked at the Church of Scotland Mission Hospital, Tiberias, Israel and at King George V Hospital, Malta.^[6] When she returned to the UK she worked as a ward sister and undertook a course in nursing administration. She then became an assistant matron at the Middlesex Hospital^[7] Gardener commenced her role as an inspector of nurse training schools of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales in 1964. From 1 July 1970 Gardener was appointed as the Principal Officer for the Joint Board of Clinical Studies. She retired after 8 years working in this role. In that time the Board produced 66 outline curricula for long courses and 16 for short courses.^[8] In 1977 Gardener was a member of one of three Briggs Working groups. This group focused on preparation for legislation, funding for the new statutory bodies and arrangement for a handover.^[9]

Gardener was a committed Christian. She was first a Baptist and later became a Methodist. On retirement Gardener shared a home with her long-standing friend Joy Bellimore, also a senior nurse administrator.^[10]

Gardener died in Sevenoaks, Kent on 21 November 1999.^[11]