Oral history interview with Mel Ekpi

Index:

00:00 Introduction

00.34 Trained at Victoria Memorial Jewish hospital (1975)

01.05 Born in Manchester at St Marys Hospital

01.48 Talk about her parents – Mother English and father a Ghanaian Merchant seaman who came to the UK in 1939

02.35 Memories of her childhood in Manchester

06.37 During her early life, her father gained custody but she eventually went into care at the National Children’s Home for 4 years

09.55 Speaks about great times while living in the National Childrens Home due to the various activities and holidays that were new experiences

12.10 After leaving the National Childrens Home she describes fond memories of living in Ghana with her father and family

15.07 Describes her reason and love for nursing; explains some differences between the past and now

16.25 How nursing was in the old days, feeling part of a family environment with the other staff

21.07 Speaks about training at the Manchester Jewish Hospital

23.15 Trained and worked with two colleagues who had come from Mauritius

24.20 Lived with her husband Albert while nursing. They married in 1970 while she was working at the Manchester Jewish Hospital

25.30 Describes the various placements in different Manchester hospitals

27.00 Held a position at Ancoats Hospital, where she worked with a lot of nurses from the West Indies

28.31 Held a position at North Manchester General Hospital

30.58 Describes changes in nursing practices

34.27 Left her nursing job in 2002 to study children’s nursing

35.17 Gained employment in a community nursing role

36.47 Speaks on patient interaction

40.22 Describes a brilliant consultant she worked with

42.25 Differences between the types of nurses produced then and now

44.56 Explains her nursing philosophy centred on patient care

48.04 How community nursing is for her now

53.30 End-of-life patients and community nursing

57.22 Care homes and community nursing

58.22 Her personal life and hobbies

59.07 She is the only black nurse in her team and is currently the longest serving member of staff

59.38 The difference between hospital and community nursing is communication

01.01.57 Gives views on the current cost of care, agencies, NHS and social care

01.09.50 In the future she would like to stay healthy because of the cost of care

01.10.57 Summary of the NHS