“I Was Brought Up on the Island”: Life Story of a Nurse at the Hansen’s Disease Sanatorium

Abstract

In order to clarify the impact of nursing care at the Hansen’s Disease Sanatorium, I conducted a life story interview with a nurse who had been working there for approximately 30 years. Currently in her 70s, she still maintains a good connection with some of the ex-patients. I asked her how she cared for them, and what she believed was important in such care. The interview revealed that she aimed to preserve the “ingenuity of each individual’s disability” and felt that she was “brought up on the island” with the patients. In addition, she not only recognized them as patients, but also as “living people”. In this regard, she acknowledged their feelings, listened to them, answered their needs, and always found ways to ensure that each individual was as comfortable as possible.