Nurses Virtue In A War Nurse's Diary

In 1918 a British nurse recorded her service in Belgium as a part of her diary. A War Nurse’s Diary poses the question of what is the importance of the nurses virtues in the war? The description by the nurse in A War Nurse’s Diary corroborates how the nurse’s character during the war is imperative to keeping not only the men alive, but also keeping themselves upbeat. The nurses importance in the war is reflected in terms of bravery, compassion, and stoicism. When thinking of warfare, most people jump to conclusion that manpower is the most important factor. The role the nurses played show a different side of warfare, and the importance of character rather than brute strength.

The nurses are illustrated to exhibit multiple acts of bravery. The nurse writing the in the diary describes an instance saying “Well, this is the man I wanted to

It took some time. When we got to the front door the first convoy had gone. Standing there I watched a dwelling opposite, six stories high, come clattering down like a car house...just the dismantled skeleton of the outer wall was left.” (P.271) For a nurse to take matters into her own hands as she described in her diary is clear evidence of the bravery the women had. Most notably, she saw through that an individual she doesn’t even know was well. The nurse writes “this man” which is an indication she had no connection to him prior to her experience saving him. This type of action is a clear indication on the vital role the nurses played in the war. Another situation described in the nurse's diary provides evidence of their collective bravery “Towards the end of the first week in October a message came for all the staff to assemble in the