Nursing, Health Visitor and Midwife Training

This material is held atRoyal College of Nursing Archives

Scope and Content

Notebooks written by Mary Baxter during her Nursing, Health Visitor and Midwife Training. File contains:

Leather bound, lined notebook entitled “General Information.” The book contains handwritten notes made by Evans during her health visitor training. Contents include information about department staff, course structure, materials needed for the school year and practical assignments. - c.1958

Leather bound, lined notebook entitled “Private Study.” The book contains handwritten notes made by Evans about various medical topics. Contents include definitions of medical conditions and notes about child nutrition, mental health and the factory acts of 1937 and 1948 - c.1950s.

One brown, paper bound notebook containing notes from lectures during health visitor training. These are mostly related to obstetrics and gynaecology. - 1957-1962

One red leather bound notebook containing lecture notes, addresses and notes relating to nursing training. The volume contains several loose letters and handwritten notes and is titled “M.Evans, 1959 Diary, Odd Notes”

Blue, paper bound, lined notebook containing study notes. There is a handwritten title on the front cover that reads: “New General Notebook 2, M. Evans 25, College of Science + Tech, Feb 9th 1959”

Blue, paper bound, lined notebook containing study notes. There is a handwritten title on the front cover that reads: “Baby Thesis + New Tutorial” - 1959

Blue, paper bound, lined notebook containing coursework assignments. There is a handwritten title on the front cover that reads: “M. Evans Homework.” Many of the assignments have been marked and include annotations written in red ink. - 1959

Blue, faux leather notebook containing study notes. On the front is a sticker headed “The College of Technology – Manchester” with “M. Evans” and “Tutorials, H.V. Course Sept ‘58- June ‘59” written by hand underneath. These notes would have been taken as part of Evans’ Health Visitor training.

Bound, lined notebook containing a handwritten copy of Mary Evans’ Thesis. This appears to be an incomplete copy and mostly consists of a case study of a mother and baby that Evans visited as part of her training.

Handwritten transcript of a 20 minute presentation given by Mary Evans as part of her health visitor training. The transcript is titled “The Normal Development of the Child from 5-11 years.” 11 Feb 1959

One blue and red lined notebook containing notes from lectures that Evans would have attended as part of her nursing training. The notebook contains an index and is titled “Mary Evans – Nursing lectures” - 21 Jan 1940 – 10 Jun 1940

Read faux leather bound notebook containing lecture notes from Evans’ Midwife Training at the Withington Hospital – c.1940s

One blue and red lined notebook containing notes from lectures that Evans would have attended as part of her nursing training. The notebook contains an index and appears to have originally had a handwritten title on the front cover. However, this has now become illegible due to damage. – c.1940s

“January Class – Rough Notes” Class notes from Evans’ Midwife training - 5 Apr 1940 -10 Jul 1940

Notebook labelled “M. Evans – Notes on Instruments etc.” Inside are handwritten lists of the sort of medical equipment that Evan’s would have used as part of her nursing career, along with definitions - 1942

A “North Middlesex Hospital” notebook titled “Nurse Mary Evans – Nursing” This contains notes from her nursing training along with assignments marked by her teacher. - 1939-1940

Notebook titled “Mary Evans: Anatomy and Physiology.” Contains notes on these topics, taken as part of Evans’ nursing training. - 1940-1941

Notebook titled “Mary Evans: Various Notes.” Contains assorted lecture notes taken in Evans. In sections, the book appears to have been used by a child to practice writing. - 1942-1943

“North Middlesex Hospital” notebook titled “M.Evans: Anatomy and Physiology.” Contains notes on these topics, taken as part of Evans’ nursing training. The notebook appears to have been used to take notes after Evans qualified, as there are several later entries. - 1939-1944

“North Middlesex Hospital” notebook titled “M.Evans: Anatomy and Physiology.” Contains notes on these topics, taken as part of Evans’ nursing training. Also contains assignments that have been marked by her nursing tutor. - 1939

Notebook titled “M. Evans: Anatomy and Physiology.” Contains notes on these topics, taken as part of Evans’ nursing training. In sections, the book appears to have been used by a child to practice writing and mathematics.

Administrative / Biographical History

Mary Baxter (nee Evans) was born in Greater Manchester on 19 Mar 1915. She gained her first qualification as a nurse in c.1940 in Greater Manchester. She registered as a nurse in Tasmania, Australia in 1941 and saw war time service in India and Egypt before returning to Manchester to train as a midwife at St. Mary’s Hospital, Newton Heath in 1946. In 1950, Evans travelled to Australia again to work as a nurse and she returned to Manchester in 1951 where she subsequently trained as health visitor. She retired from nursing and health visitor practice in 1969 due to ill health. Mary Baxter passed away in 1999.

Access Information

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact the RCN Archives in advance of their first visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Royal College of Nursing