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{{Short description|British nurse and hospital matron}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Theodora Turner
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|08|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Congleton]], Cheshire
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1999|08|24|1907|08|05|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Wantage]], Oxfordshire
| occupation = [[nurse]], [[matron]]
}}
 
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
'''Theodora Turner''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|OBE|ARRC}} (5 August 1907 – 24 August 1999) was a British nurse and hospital matron.
 
== Early years and education ==
Theodora Turner was born on 5 August 1907 in [[Congleton]], [[Cheshire|Cheshire,]], one of five children. Her father later became Conservative Party agent in Salisbury where she attended the [[Godolphin School]], [[Salisbury]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Hancock |first=Christine |date=1999-09-30 |title=Theodora Turner |url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/sep/30/guardianobituaries |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
 
Her parents initially sent her to study at [[Atholl Crescent School of Cookery and Domestic Economy|Atholl Crescent]], the Edinburgh School of Domestic Science but Turner wisheswished to become a nurse and, with her parents consent, entered [[St Thomas' Hospital]] and the [[Nightingale School of Nursing]] in the summer of 1929.<ref name=":0" /> She completed her training as a nurse with the silver medal, but declined to join the League of St Barnabas, an [[Anglican]] society for nurses against the suggestion of the matron, Dame [[Alicia Lloyd Still|Alicia Lloyd-Still]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1999-08-31 |title=Obituaries: Theodora Turner |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituaries-theodora-turner-1114720.html |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> She took her [[midwifery]] training at the [[Radcliffe Infirmary]], Oxford, then returned to St Thomas' Hospital as a ward nursing sister. She completed the [[International Council of Nurses]]' course for nurse administrators at [[Bedford College, London|Bedford College]] in 1939.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=July 1939 |title="The International Council of Nurses." |journal=The Nursing Record |volume=87 |issue=2052 |pages=182 |via=Royal College of Nursing Historical Journals Collection}}</ref>
 
== Second World War ==
When war broke out in 1939 sheTurner joined the [[Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service]] (QARANC), was mobilised at Congleton,.<ref name=":2" /> She served on a hospital ship and was present during the evacuation from [[Dunkirk, evacuation|Dunkirk]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Pearson |first=Elizabeth |date=27 August 1965 |title="Miss Turner of St. Thomas's." . |journal=Nursing Times |pages=1181 |via=Royal College of Nursing Historical Journals Collection}}</ref> In 1942 she was posted to the [[56th Division (United Kingdom)|56th Division]] and served in [[Iran]], among[[Egypt]] otherand places[[Tripoli, IranLibya|Tripoli]].<ref andname=":3" /> She then served in a Neurological unit in [[Bari]], Italy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal College of Nursing Oral History Collection |url=https://archives.rcn.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=T/32 |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=archives.rcn.org.uk}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |date=7 September 1999 |title="Theodora Turner. Obituary" |journal=The Times |pages=21}}</ref> Turner was awarded Associate of the [[Royal Red Cross]] in recognition of her distinguished service in Italy.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |date=September 1944 |title="Royal Red Cross." |journal=The Nursing Record |volume=92 |issue=2114 |pages=98}}</ref>
 
== Later career ==
On her return to civilian life she wastook namedup post as administrative sister at St Thomas' asHospital preparation forbefore her appointment as matron of [[Liverpool]]'s [[Liverpool Royal Infirmary|Royal Infirmary]] in 1948.<ref name=":0" /> Turner left in 1953 to care for her elderly parents and took up post of Principal of the [[Royal College of Nursing]]'s Education Centre in [[Birmingham]].<ref name=":3" />
 
Turner was appointed matron of St Thomas' Hospital and superintendent of the [[Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery|Florence Nightingale School of Nursing]] in 1955.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=15 July 1955 |title="Topical Notes. St Thomas' Hospital " |journal=Nursing Times |volume=51 |pages=774 |via=Royal College of Nursing Historical Journals Collection}}</ref> She retired in 1965, having contributed to the post-war rebuilding of the hospital and introduced many innovations in nurse education.<ref name=":3" /> Turner was an active member of the Nightingale Fellowship (the organisation open to all nurses who trained at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing).<ref name=":3" />
Turner left in 1953 to care for her elderly parents. When she was free from family commitments she was appointed matron and lady superintendent of nurses of St Thomas' when the hospital was being rebuilt after being hit 13 times by German bombs. Turner deputised as a [[Royal College of Nursing]] representative on the [[Joint Industrial Council|Whitley Council]] which negotiated nurses' salaries.<ref name=":0" /> After retiring, she became president of the RCN. She later relocated to Scotland, where she served on the Argyll and Clyde Health Board. <ref name=":1" />▼
 
▲Turner leftwas inan 1953active tomember careof forthe herRoyal elderlyCollege parents.of WhenNursing sheand waselected freemember fromof familyCouncil commitments(1950–53).<ref>{{Cite shejournal was|date=26 appointedSeptember matron1953 and|title="Topical ladyNotes. superintendent" of|journal=Nursing nursesTimes of|volume=49 St|pages=962 Thomas'|via=Royal whenCollege theof hospitalNursing wasHistorical beingJournal rebuiltCollection}}</ref><ref aftername=":3" being/> hitShe 13 times by German bombs. Turner deputised aswas a [[Royal College of Nursing]] representative on the [[Joint Industrial Council|Whitley Council]] which negotiated nurses' salaries.<ref name=":0" /> After retiring, she became president of the RCN (1966-1968).<ref name=":0" /> She later relocated to Scotland, where she served on the Argyll and Clyde Health Board. <ref name=":1" />
==Death==▼
 
== Awards ==
[[Royal Red Cross|ARRC]] 1944<ref name=":4" />
 
[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] 1960<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 December 1960 |title=United Kingdom: "No. 42231" |work=The London Gazette (Supplement) |pages=8889–8922}}</ref>
 
▲== Death ==
Theodora Turner died at [[Wantage]], [[Oxfordshire]], aged 92, from old age.<ref name=":0" />
 
== Curriculum vitae ==
* [[Royal Red Cross|ARRC]], 1944
* Education Officer, Education Centre, [[Royal College of Nursing]], Birmingham, 1953–55
* Matron, St Thomas' Hospital and Superintendent, [[Nightingale Training School]], 1955–65
* President, [[Royal College of Nursing]], 1966–68
 
* President, [[Florence Nightingale International Nurses Association|International Council of Nurses]], 1971–74
== References ==▼
{{Reflist}}
 
▲==References==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Theodora}}
[[Category:1907 births]]
Line 44 ⟶ 52:
[[Category:People from Congleton]]
[[Category:People educated at Godolphin School]]
[[Category:Associate Membersmembers of the Royal Red Cross]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Royal College of Nursing]]
[[Category:Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps officers]]
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