Eileen Marjorie Fosbery Chambers (29 May 1906 – 6 April 1989) was a New Zealand nurse, hospital matron, nursing tutor and administrator. She was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

on 29 May 1906.

Early life

Chambers was born in Sydney on 29 May 1906 to Fosbery Maunsell Nancarrow, a shipping clerk, and Violet Marjorie Campbell. The family moved to

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

around 1910 and Chambers attended the private girls' school St Margaret's College. Her father would not allow her to go to university so instead she became a governess. In 1927, Chambers married a sheepfarmer, Bernard Chambers; however the marriage didn't last and the couple was divorced in 1938.

Career

In need of a career, Chambers applied to

Christchurch Hospital Christchurch Hospital is the largest tertiary hospital in the South Island of New Zealand. The public hospital is in the centre of Christchurch city, on the edge of Hagley Park, and serves the wider Canterbury region. The Canterbury District Heal ...

for training and became a registered nurse in 1940. She completed

Plunket Society The Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust provides a range of free services aimed at improving the development, health and wellbeing of children under the age of five within New Zealand, where it is commonly known simply as Plunket. Its mission is "t ...

training to become a nurse for mothers and new babies the following year, postgraduate training in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in 1944 and maternity nurse training at Hutt Hospital in 1948. As a result, she was appointed a tutor sister in Christchurch and in 1949 became matron at

Oamaru Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway ...

Hospital. While in the position, she planned and developed new buildings such as laboratories, kitchens, maternity wing and nurses' home. In 1952 she was promoted again, to matron of Christchurch Hospital, and held this role until 1963 when she was appointed matron-in-chief of all the hospital board's institutions. As matron at Christchurch Hospital, she implemented a number of changes to services, including curtain screens between beds, changes to visiting hours and ward routines, and a nursing technique committee to standardise practices. Chambers was an advocate for nursing education, and opened nurse training schools and also offered study programmes for staff. She also sought to attract older and married women to the profession, and supported a shorter community nursing programme introduced in 1966. During her time at Christchurch she also oversaw the opening of Princess Margaret Hospital, additions to nurses' homes and a building programme for the main Christchurch Hospital. In the

1963 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1963 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries ...

, Chambers was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. In 1988, Chambers published her autobiography, ''My Life in Nursing.'' She died in Christchurch the following year, aged 83.

References

1906 births 1989 deaths New Zealand nurses Australian emigrants to New Zealand People educated at St Margaret's College New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand women nurses New Zealand hospital administrators {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub