Mildred Hughes (nurse)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mildred Hughes | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1972 |
| Occupation | Matron |
| Employer | Leicester Royal Infirmary |
| Organization | Royal College of Nursing |
Mildred Florence Hughes MBE (17 April 1890 – 17 September 1972 1972) was a British nurse who served as matron of Leicester Royal Infirmary from 1929 to 1946, head sister-in-chief of the Naval Nursing Service from 1929 to 1934 and president of the Royal College of Nursing from 1944 to 1946.[1]
Hughes was born in Great Torrington, Devon, on 17 April 1890.[2] Her parents were Frederick Charles Hughes, a Baptist minister and Henrietta, who were listed on the 1891 census, living in Blisworth, Northamptonshire.[3]
Hughes started training in 1910 at the Evelina London Children's Hospital and Guy's Hospital, qualifying in 1917.[1][4][5] She was amongst the first wave of qualified nurses who registered with the General Nursing Council for England and Wales - she became registrant 7185 on 22nd September 1922.[5] She subsequently became ward sister and night sister at Guy's Hospital.[1] She was Matron of the Infants Hospital, Westminster, from 1922 until her appointment to Leicester in 1929. during her time there she qualified with a Diploma in Children's Nursing from the University of London in 1928.[2]
She spent most of her career, nearly twenty years, as matron of Leicester Royal Infirmary from 1929 until her retirement in 1946.[1] She was President of the Leicester Royal Infirmary Nurses' League from February 1934[2] and was an active member of Soroptimist International in Leicester.[2]
Royal College of Nursing
Hughes was a committed active member of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). She joined as a newly qualified nurse in 1918 as member 10254.[4] From 1933 she was elected an RCN council member.[2] Hughes was appointed to the Nurses Salaries Committee by Rushcliffe[1] where she represented the RCN 1941-1943.[6][7] She was President of the RCN for two years (1944-1946),[1] and upon retirement became Chair of the RCN Council from 1947-1949[1]