Bell, Jane (1873–1959)
Bell, Jane (1873–1959)
Scottish-Australian nurse. Born Mar 16, 1873, at Middlebie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland; died Aug 6, 1959, in Melbourne, Australia; dau. of Helen (Johnstone) Bell and William Bell (farmer); nurses training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; midwifery training at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London.
Hospital matron and advocate of nurses education and reform, lost parents and 4 siblings to TB before she was 13; served as senior assistant lady superintendent of nursing at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary; was super-intendent at Melbourne Hospital (1910–34); during WWI, paved the way for a reorganization of the Australian Army Medical and Nursing Services; devoted years to restructuring nurses organizations and updating qualifications, working through Australian Trained Nurses' Association (of which she was a foundation member), Victorian Trained Nurses' Association (later Royal Victorian College of Nursing), and Nurses' Board; served as president of College of Nursing (1931–34, 1935–46). Named OBE (1944).