Ep 222: The Experience of a WWII Nurse Anesthetist & the Lessons Learned

When you look back over the history of nurse anesthesia, the most forgotten group of nurses might have been those that served the country during World War II. It took nearly a half-century to tell their story but thanks to Carolyn Nicholson the legacy of that group of incredible nurses is being carried on today. We’ll look back at the war and the role of nurse anesthetists by telling the story of Adeline Simonson, whose experience is very much like all the brave individuals serving on the front lines.    Here are some of the things you’ll learn on this show: Why she got interested in this topic and what’s she learned about that time period. (3:45) How she discovered Adeline and what she learned about her going overseas. (5:02) The training they received before leaving. (8:39) What agents were they using at that time? (13:02) How they dealt with anesthesia shortages and improved upon them. (16:49) Details on the horrible conditions that nurses had to endure. (20:34) The boom in anesthesia that happened following the war. (27:15) Carolyn’s experience meeting Adeline’s family. (28:39) Carolyn’s final thoughts on the topic. (34:52)   Visit us online: http://beyondthemaskpodcast.com  Get the CE certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf