Interview with Betty Hillman, April 5, 2005

Partial Transcript: The first section of questions is basically background on the nurses-

Segment Synopsis: Betty Hillman is introduced, and reflects on her education and prior experiences with nursing. She then discusses her initial introduction to the Frontier Nursing Service and how long she remained a working nurse in the service. She proceeds to describe her birthplace of Gloucester, England, and its rural village status. She discusses her parents occupations, and the influences of other caregivers in her life. She reflects on her lineage of nursing, and that influence on her career choice.

Keywords: Appalachia; FNS; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Gloucester (England); Great Britain.; Health education.; Medical Care Education; Nurses; Nursing schools.; Nursing.; Rural villages; Villages; United Kingdom

Partial Transcript: What were your earlier years like? Growing up in the village.

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses her childhood in Gloucester, and elaborates on the community. She recalls the education she received in rural England, and the scholarship she was gifted for a private boarding school, which she attended for seven years. She circles back to the community, specifically the relationships and economic classes present. She reflects on the role of religion in her upbringing, and her familial ties to both the education and religious system. She continues to discuss her career choice, and assesses possible external influences, especially family, community, religion, and socioeconomic status. She details the finances she managed in training, and how much her education cost her.

Keywords: Boarding schools; Economic status; Education.; Gloucester (England); Nursing.; Private schools.; Religion; Scholarships.; Village communities.; Rural England

Partial Transcript: How did your friends and family react when you said you were going to go into nurses training?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman reflects on external reactions to her career and education choices, and the shock and support she received. She recalls her nursing training, her peers, the work environment, and her own educators. She discusses the stress she was faced with in the clinics, and the extreme differences in the healthcare system in America. She recalls her training as adequate and accurately representative of the field at the time. Further, She discusses her midwifery training, and the motivations to follow that field.

Keywords: British Health Care; Burnout; Clinics.; Healthcare; Hospitals.; Midwifery.; Midwives; Nursing schools.; Nursing.; Obstetric nursing; Training.; Work stress; American Heath Care

Partial Transcript: How did your friends and family react when you told them you were going to go to Kentucky, the Appalachia's of Kentucky, to nurse?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses her communities support regarding her Kentucky mission. She reflects on her strong drive to travel and explore, and that influence on her decision, further drawing a comparison between Eastern Kentucky and Gloucester, specifically in Nursing. She recalls the support the FNS initially provided, her employee contract, her benefits, and the time off provided. She describes the end of her contract and the friendships she continued to maintain. She elaborates on her area station in Kentucky, and the duties and time in each region of care.

Keywords: Appalachia; Cultures and customs; Eastern Kentucky; FNS; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Gloucester (England); Hyden (Ky.); Kentucky; Labor; Nursing.; Rural health services; Working conditions; Financial Support

Partial Transcript: Has your experience at the FNS impacted your nursing career choices after you left?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses the influence the Frontier Nursing service and the rural healthcare field had on her nursing career post service, elaborating on a rural health service in Canada. She reflects on feeling a lack of freedom when she returned to the U.K., and her career path in England's healthcare service. She discusses her training in education and other more technical fields as well. She elaborates on her ventures into education, especially in Canada and Britain. She then reflects on the services she provided within the Frontier Nursing Service, and her experiences with home-births and rural healthcare, elaborating on the specifics of midwifery.

Keywords: Appalachia; Appalachia; Britain; Canada; Canada.; Childbirth.; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Home births; Labor and delivery; Midwifery.; Midwives; NHS; Nurses.; Nursing.; Rural health services; FNS

Partial Transcript: You did a lot of your deliveries on horseback then? While you were there.

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses her animals, including her delivery horse named Robin. She elaborates on the care for the horse and other animals, and what those duties entailed. She also elaborates on her daily duties as a nurse, horseback and in a clinic. She discusses the tasks she completed each day, and the rounds she preformed. Further, she describes her home visit rounds, all on horseback. She recalls the births she attended, especially the night deliveries. She then reflects on the vet care she provided to the community, and those duties.

Keywords: Animal care; Childbirth.; Clinics.; Delivery horses; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Home care; Horseback riding; Midwifery.; Night births; Night deliveries; Nurses; Nursing.; Rural health services; Veterinary care; Home birth

Partial Transcript: What was some of the best things you remember 'bout working for the Frontier Nursing Service?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses her lasting impressions of the Frontier Nursing Service. She recalls positive aspects of the service, and her appreciation for the children of the community. She reflects on the differences in care provisions in the US and the UK, and the guilt of receiving payment for care. She describes spending her free time exploring the natural and social environments of eastern Kentucky, and the expected duties within the community. She discusses her patient relationships in Kentucky, and her sense of disconnect compared to Canadian patients. She elaborates on the sense of independence within the community, and her position as an outsider.

Keywords: Appalachia; Canada; Eastern Kentucky; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Nursing.; Pediatrics.; Privatized Health Care; Rural health services; Social environment.; Universal Health Care; Patient Relationships

Partial Transcript: In the Appalachias, uh, other Americans are seen as foreigners--

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses the socioeconomic situation in the mountains and recalls the migration out of the area to provide economic benefits to their families. She describes the living and the region, and the illnesses she observed. She recalls the health education she taught, details the impacts within the region, and accesses the overall health of the population. She then recalls the families she provided for, and the location she oversaw.

Keywords: Appalachia; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health conditions; Health education.; Healthcare; Poverty.; Rural health.; Socioeconomic status; Living conditions

Partial Transcript: Describe a typical day or week, if you can recall. What it was like?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman recalls her daily home visits to both maternity and pediatric patients. She discusses her role in the community clinic, the patients she interacted with, and the greater care network she accessed. She expresses being shocked at how much more advanced urban heath care was, compared to the FNS and rural care. She then discusses the leaders and nurses of the FNS and her recollection and impressions of them. Further, she recalls patients and families that left a lasting impression, and proceeds to tell their stories.

Keywords: Appalachia; Clinics.; FNS; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Greater Care Networks; Health care administration; Hospitals.; Labor and delivery; Obstetrics.; Patient Relationships; Pediatrics.; Rural health services; Surgery.; Urban healthcare; Accessible Care

Partial Transcript: Have you been back for Mary Breckinridge day?

Segment Synopsis: Hillman discusses her return to Kentucky, and reflects on the close knit community of the Frontier Nursing Service. Further, she reflects on the changes over time within the FNS with the War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement, and recalls the public opinion of the FNS, Breckenridge, and the british nurses. She describes the school, and the reasoning behind its operations, and proceeds to discuss her desire to teach in the nursing field.

Keywords: Appalachia; Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965.; Civil rights movement; FNS; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Mary Breckinridge day; Public opinion.; Rural health services; Teaching.; War on Poverty; Kentucky