Alice Reeves RRC (December 1874 – 21 October 1955) was an Irish nurse and matron of Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin. Described by surgeon, T. G. Wilson, as "undoubtedly one of the greatest nurses Ireland has ever produced." Reeves helped create the first rules of the general nursing council in the 1920s and she received the honour of a Florence Nightingale Medal.

Biography

Alice Reeves was born in December 1874. She was the daughter of the Rev. Charles Robert Reeves, clergyman, and Charlotte Reeves (née Haire). At age five or six, Reeves was orphaned, and was raised by her aunt. At 19 she went to Adelaide Hospital, Dublin to train as a nurse, staying there as a ward sister after her training. She was appointed matron of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in 1908, and remained there until 22 October 1918, when she was appointed lady superintendent and matron of Dr Steevens’ Hospital. She would go on to hold this position for 30 years. At the time of her appointment to Dr Steevens', the economy was suffering in the aftermath of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, leading to a need to change the training requirements for nurses to attract suitable candidates. Among the initial suggestions Reeves made to the hospital's board of governors was to abolish the entrance fee for probationer nurses. Instead, the probationer nurses would receive their certificate of qualification only after completing three years’ training, proving their nursing ability. The establishment of this practice helped in the professionalisation and standardisation of nursing, mirroring similar work by

Margaret Huxley Margaret Rachel Huxley (1854–1940) was an English nurse who introduced structured, scientific nursing training in Ireland. Her initiatives led to the establishment of the first nursing school in Dublin. She was involved in numerous organisatio ...

Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Sir Patrick Dun) was a hospital and school for physicians on Grand Canal Street, Dublin, Ireland. History Sir Patrick Dun, a prominent physician in Ireland, died in 1713, leaving income generating prope ...

, Dublin. Reeves was the first president of the Adelaide Hospital League of Nurses and a founding member of the Florence Nightingale committee. When the

National Council of Nurses National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

was established under the Nurses Registration (Ireland) Act of 1919, she was one of the first appointees. When the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...

was established in 1922, she formally applied for the council's affiliation to the International Council of Nurses by in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

, Finland. With Huxley, Reeves was instrumental in the formulation of the first rules of the general nursing council, a council that was founded after the nurses’ registration act was passed in 1925. She was a founding member of the Irish Matrons’ Association, helping to draft its constitution. She was also a founder of the Nation's Tribute to Nurses Fund, a fund that supported old or otherwise distressed nurses financially. For her work in the standardisation and professionalisation of nursing, Reeves received a number of honours. She received a

Royal Red Cross The Royal Red Cross (RRC) is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing. Foundation The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Victoria of the Un ...

for her work during WWI.

Dublin University The University of Dublin ( ga, Ollscoil Átha Cliath), corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a university located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dubl ...

awarded her an honorary MA degree in 1947, and in 1949 she was the first Irishwoman to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. When she retired from Dr Steevens', she was presented with a portrait of herself. Reeves died in the Merrion Nursing Home on 21 October 1955, and is buried at

Mount Jerome Cemetery Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

Biography

References

Further reading