Lectures on General Nursing

Eva Charlotte Ellis Lückes (1854–1919) was a pioneer of nursing training and friend of Florence Nightingale. In 1880, aged only twenty-six, she became matron of the London Hospital, the largest hospital in England, a post she held until her death. During her time there she improved working conditions for the nurses and trained her own staff, recognising the importance of a knowledge of anatomy and physiology, but never losing sight of the primary duty of a nurse to care for a patient's needs. First published in book form in 1884, these lectures were part of the training for probationers at the London Hospital. Emphasising the importance of attention to detail, the lectures address the practicalities of nursing, covering such topics as the management of infection, caring for sick children, bandaging techniques, and drug administration. Also reissued in this series is Lückes's popular 1886 textbook Hospital Sisters and their Duties.