00:00:00SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM
Interview #1859
CASEY, BETTY
CASEY, BETTY (1942-)
Interviewed: 2019
Interviewer: Lea Goldstone
Index by: Lea Goldstone, Sophie Clark
Transcribed by: Teresa Bergen
Length: 19 minutes
First Interview Session (March 29, 2019): Digital File
00:00:00
LG: Today is March 29, 2019. My name is Lea Goldstone. And I'm interviewing
Betty Casey. We're here in Middleton, and this is an in-person interview. This
is being conducted for the Madison General School of Nursing Alumni Oral History
Project from 1905 to 1982. For sound quality purposes, could you please say your
name and spell your last name?
BC: Betty Casey. C-a-s-e-y.
LG: Perfect. All right. So, if you could just describe kind of your background,
just to get an idea. Like where did you grow up?
BC: Okay. I grew up in Madison, on the east side of town. Went to East High
School. And been here all my life, really. What else?
LG: Did anything in your background kind of guide you towards a nursing education?
BC: I always wanted to be a nurse, even as a little child. I always wanted to be
a nurse. And I think probably part of it was, when I was very little, my dad had
00:01:00a very, very, very severe case of measles. And the public health nurse, or the
visiting nurse came daily for weeks. And drew blood and did all these things.
And he did recover. But he was very sick. And I think that influenced me. I
remember the person. I remember how kind she was and the things that she did.
LG: Awesome. And was nursing popular in your community as like a career choice?
Or was that kind of just--
BC: Well, I think yes. When I graduated from high school, I think we were sort
of geared to three things by the social workers at the high school. It was
either teaching, secretary, beautician or nurse. Those were the four things that
they stressed for most women at that time.
LG: And what year did you graduate high school?
00:02:00
BC: High school? Sixty, 1960.
LG: Cool. And what was your perception of nursing school prior to your going?
Like what did you think it was going to be like?
02:14
BC: Science. Lots of science, which I liked. Public relations. Working with
people. I don't know what else to tell you.
LG: That's okay. (laughter) So getting to life in Madison, so what years did you
attend Madison General?
BC: Nineteen sixty-three, I graduated. So I was there in '60, the summer of '60,
'61, '62. And we graduated the spring of '63.
LG: Got you. And you said you were from Madison.
BC: Yeah.
LG: But what were your first impressions of just living in Madison General and
with the other nursing students?
BC: Well, one of the reasons I picked Madison General School of Nursing, there
were other nursing schools in Madison that I considered, or even out of town.
00:03:00But Madison General was one of the first schools, well I think in the nation, to
convert their three-year program into a three-semester university start. Totally
as a regular student doing your letters in science and all those things. And
then you transferred to the School of Nursing. So I felt it gave me a very
well-rounded education. It gave me a chance to see what university life is like.
And before we transferred into the program itself.
Living in the dorm was just fabulous. It was everything I hoped and more. I
still have lifelong friends that I made there. Our class was small. I think we
started with 40 and we graduated 38. So it was very small. And got to know
00:04:00everybody very well.
LG: And so did you live in McConnell Hall, then?
BC: Yes. Mm hm. Mm hmm.
LG: Okay. And did you have any experience with Rest Harrow? I think that was
like the kind of house behind McConnell Hall. I'm not sure if that was even
still there at the time.
BC: Hmm. I know the name, but no, we didn't, not that I'm aware of. No.
04:22
LG: All right. So what were some of the social kind of recreational stuff that
you would do with your nursing school friends while you were living in Madison?
BC: Well, we could basically do whatever we wanted to do. A lot of girls had
made friends through the colleges they went to. They could go to any of the
state schools like Platteville, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, Stevens Point. So we all
kind of merged in together in the dorm. And then whatever we wanted to do on our
free time. A lot of girls played tennis. Movies. Of course, dating. Went to the
00:05:00parks a lot. Like Vilas Park was very close, we went there a lot. Swimming,
boating, those kinds of things. The girls themselves, in the dorm we did a lot
of community, you know, gatherings in the space. TV, popcorn, all those kinds of things.
LG: I had another question. Oh, I should have wrote it down. It's okay. So is
there anything else that kind of like strikes you about your experience just
living in Madison? Is there anything that you can remember that really stood out?
BC: You mean during the time I was in nursing school? Or just otherwise?
LG: Yeah, just in nursing school.
BC: Well, it was a vibrant city at that time. I mean, it had a lot of cultural
opportunities. It was a much smaller town than it is now. Everything centered
00:06:00around downtown, State Street, you know, that kind of thing. A lot of athletic
activities, because of the university. Music. Is that what you mean?
LG: Yeah, yeah. Just anything that you experienced.
BC: Okay, okay.
LG: So, kind of moving on towards training. So can you describe any of the
technical training you were taught like while you were in Madison General?
BC: Well, the first year we started out with fundamentals of nursing, which is
basically bedside procedures and things. We all had to take psychology,
bacteriology, pharmacology, and of course obviously anatomy and physiology.
Those are probably the main things. What else did you just say?
LG: Oh, yeah, just like what were your classes like?
00:07:00
BC: Oh, okay. We were divided into groups so that the rotations that we did
contained maybe eight girls would go on rotation together to different areas.
And we had different instructors for each section. Let's see, I don't know how
to describe it to you.
LG: Sorry.
BC: Yeah. Like if we did obstetrics, we went to a classroom. We might have had
the whole group in the classroom, but then we divided into sections and had
individual instructors and monitoring and teaching in the hospital site itself.
LG: So what were some of the like procedures that you were able to practice as a
nursing student?
BC: Oh, gosh, we did a lot. (laughter)
LG: Just a couple of them.
BC: Oh, injections, catheters, you know. Obviously bed baths, bedside care,
00:08:00massages, blood pressure, cardiac monitoring. Starting IVs. All that kind of stuff.
LG: Just because there's differences between what they--
BC: Right, right.
08:22
LG: So do you remember any faculty who played kind of an important role in your education?
BC: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah, there were a couple that were really, really good, and
that we really learned a lot from. Very gentle, very warm, caring individuals.
And yes, I do remember several. Do you need names?
LG: If there are any that stand out to you. It's okay.
BC: I know her name, but I can't tell you right at the moment. I can see her,
but I can't tell you.
LG: That's all right.
BC: And there were some that we did not like. (laughs) Those we remember, too.
00:09:00
LG: And your teachers, were they all nurses? Or were there some doctors mixed in?
BC: Oh, there were both, yes. We had a lot of doctors who would give lectures
and things. But the basic teaching was nurses.
LG: Got you. So was there anything particularly challenging that you remember
about being in school at Madison General?
BC: Challenging. Well, sometimes the hours. We worked all different shifts when
we were in school. WE worked in different areas. So some, of course, you're more
interested in or you have better capabilities than others. Also, let's see, what
else was I going to say? (laughs) yeah, it was stressful at times. You know,
your caseload. You were assigned so many patients per shift. And sometimes it
00:10:00varied, depending on what area you were working in.
LG: And were you assigned an area to work in? Or did you kind of get to pick?
00:10:11
BC: No, we were assigned, yeah. We did all these rotations. Like we rotated, I
mean, we did hospital work here. And then you had three-month rotations, like at
Mendota Mental Hospital, the Veterans, VA, for TB. Milwaukee Children's, for
children's. Because at that time we didn't have that much affiliation with the
university hospital. So we went to these different sites and stayed for three
months and did that particular area.
LG: And was that every semester? Or was that like one year was carved out for--
BC: No, every, well, after the initial first, I think, first semester. Then we
started rotations depending on what classes you'd had. So, yeah.
00:11:00
LG: What was your, like can you remember any of them that really stood out to you?
BC: Oh, yeah. (laughs) Mendota Mental Health was, had some interesting times.
Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, it was Milwaukee Children's, which was a very
large pediatric hospital in downtown Milwaukee. And we were actually assigned a
floor and in charge as a student of these little children. And they had very,
very serious illnesses and diseases and problems. So that was difficult. And
then we did different rotations in the hospital, like medical, surgical,
cardiac, orthopedic, urology, all of the different areas. So.
LG: And did you ever end up specializing in one of those in particular? Or one
that you found most kind of compelling?
BC: I've done a lot of different areas in my working life. The last probably
00:12:00almost 30 years I spent in surgery. Outpatient surgery. And that I really liked.
But I liked general practice, too. I went and worked with several general
practitioners in the beginning. And you did everything from elderly to children
to babies to OB to everything. And that was really a very learning experience. I
learned a lot by doing that. So.
LG: And are there any practices or methods like you learned in school that would
be considered kind of odd today that they just wouldn't teach kind of in that setting?
BC: Yeah. I remember putting in a tracheotomy. And I don't think they would
allow students to do that today.
LG: Oh, right. That makes sense.
BC: Also, let's see. Probably some of the cardiac things that we had to do. We
00:13:00put on, you know, different types of dressings that I don't know if they'd allow
you to do today, either.
LG: So you just had a very kind of active role in it.
BC: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. I'd say so.
LG: So what were some of your just lasting impressions of Madison General?
BC: Oh, I loved every minute of it. (laughter) Really, it was a wonderful
experience and I think we had a very good education. And I have nothing but good
things to say about it. It was probably the best years of my life in many
respects. We just really, really had a good time. Lots of fun. Lots of good
friends. A very diverse group of people, and very diverse education, I would
say. We didn't just learn out of the book. We really did hands-on work. Which is
00:14:00a little different than some of them have today, because they work on the
dummies, you know, the models and things. Which is fine. I mean, people do learn
very well. But it's different working with individuals, and sick individuals,
you know, during a crisis. So it was good. Everything was good. I enjoyed it
immensely. And I don't know what else to tell you.
LG: And do you think there was any aspect of your training at Madison General
that set you apart as a nurse from other nurses who were coming out of school
during that same time?
14:44
BC: At the same time, probably not. I don't know what other, you know, we worked
with other students from other schools at different rotations. They would send
girls from their school to the same place that we were, and we made friends with
those. I think most three-year nursing programs at that time were pretty much
00:15:00similar, and had probably similar training. Yeah.
LG: And so just tell me a little bit about your career after you graduated.
BC: Well, I did go back to school. I went back to the university while I was
working and got more credits. I wish, which I had not done, I was just a few
credits short of what would be a bachelor's today. But then I got married and
that changed and I was working fulltime. But yeah, I worked in many different
areas. Psychiatry, general practitions, allergy, urology and then surgery. So
I've done lots of different things. Yeah.
LG: Was there any that was, I think you mentioned that surgery was--
00:16:00
BC: Oh, yeah, I mean that was probably, I was in the later years of my career.
And yeah, I worked with very nice people and I enjoyed that a lot.
LG: And do you have any particularly memorable moments of your career that just
kind of stand out to you?
BC: I couldn't name any one particular. Just so many. Yeah.
LG: So did you ever return to Madison? As like a reunion kind of--
BC: To Madison General, you mean?
LG: Mm hmm.
BC: Oh, yeah. I go to the Alumni Day every year. Or have most years, anyway,
yeah. And still get together with my good friends who we graduated together
several times a year. Yeah.
LG: And what advice, if anything, would you give to nursing students today that
00:17:00you wish you had known before you jumped into the nursing world?
BC: Hmm, that I wish I had known. Well, that it can be very hard work. The hours
are not always ideal. It can be stressful, because you are responsible for
someone's life, really. I consider it a really profession. (laughs)
LG: And is there anything else that you would like to include in this interview
before I conclude?
BC: Just that I was always very happy to be a nurse. Happy with my career. Happy
with my choice. And I would do it again.
LG: Oh, great!
BC: That's about all I could say.
LG: Well, perfect. Well, thank you for letting me--
BC: Does that help?
LG: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. That's just what we need.
00:18:00
BC: Okay. Okay.
LG: So I'll conclude this interview. And just for on the record, we're going to
be sending you that follow-up sheet--
BC: Okay.
LG: --that has the information about like what information can be released and
when. So it's all kind of like to your, you know, discretion.
BC: Okay.
LG: Great.
18:20
[End Interview.]
