Incidents and case studies ashore 5 - Acceptance of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Claire Taylor
Service: 1968 - 1996
Rate: QARNNS Matron-in-Chief and Tri-service Director of Nurse Education
Claire Taylor trained as a State Registered Nurse and State Certified Midwife before joining the QARNNS (Queen Alexandra Royal Naval Nursing Service) in April 1967. She worked as a midwife at Royal Naval Hospital M'Tarfa in Malta, RNH Haslar and HMS Ganges until in 1973 she left the service to work in Papua New Guinea before rejoining in April 1975. On rejoining she became a Sister Tutor, prior to undertaking a number of teaching posts primarily at RN Medical Services School Haslar. In 1987 she was appointed to the new Tri-Service body at MoD in London and after that Deputy Matron at RNMSS Haslar before becoming Deputy Matron-in-Chief in London during the Gulf War. Finally, in February 1994 she was appointed Matron-in-Chief, together with the post (in 1996) of Tri-Service Director of Nurse Education.
Has the treatment of personnel affected by traumatic events improved? Listen to Claire's views.
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Extract Text (Duration 1.32)
It's this British attitude that, you know, the stiff upper lip and that you can cope with anything and that the ‘big boys don't cry' syndrome. Hmmm, and I think the actual naming Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder took away the sort of shell shock or whatever the connotation was. But it certainly is something that seems to be, hmmm... not necessarily a modern situation, because the Second World War veterans are showing, not necessarily signs of clinical depression because of their circumstances, but a lot of people that, both service and civilian, that went through traumatic times still have difficulty in talking about it. But nowadays, certainly I think that the syndrome is an accepted and acceptable syndrome and people have been treated and are able to go back to work again, which is the important thing.
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0.43 mins - mp3 File
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Incident as a patient
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Pastoral care of trainees
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Acceptance of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
1.32 mins - mp3 File
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