When 18-year-old Mary Hazard touched down in post-war Putney to begin her nurse’s training, she could never have known that it was the beginning of a colourful career that would still be going 60 years later – one of the longest ever serving NHS nurses.For Mary, raised in a strict convent in rural south Ireland, working in her first London hospital was a shocking and life-changing experience. Against a backdrop of ongoing rationing and poverty, she saw for the first time the horrors of disease, the heart-breaking outcomes of failed abortions – and faced the genuine shock of seeing a man naked for the first time!60 Years a Nurse follows the dramas and emotions as Mary found her feet during those early years. From the firm friends she made under the ever-watchful gaze of Matron and the sisters, to the eclectic mix of Londoners she strove to care for; the Teddy Boys she danced with and the freedom of living away from home; and her own burgeoning love story, as extraordinary as it was romantic – these are the funny and heartwarming moments that helped Mary to follow her dream.In this top-rated autobiography, Mary Hazard shares her extraordinary journey, making it one of the best biographies in recent years. Her story is not just about nursing, but also about the evolution of the NHS, the societal changes she witnessed, and the personal growth she experienced.For fans of Vanessa Martin (The Great Ormond Street Nurse), Dawn Brookes (Hurry up Nurse), Joan Lock (Please, Nurse!), Susan Macqueen (The Children's Nurse), and Evelyn Prentis (Matron at Last).
