Dorothy MacBride Radwanski (née Warnock, 31 January 1928 – 29 December 2012) was a Scottish nurse, known for her pioneering work in

occupational health nursing Occupational health nursing is a specialty nursing practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers, worker populations, and community groups. The practice focuses on promotion, maintenance and restoration ...

in the UK and Nigeria.

Early life

Radwanski was born in

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

, Scotland. She attended Hutchesons' Girls Grammar School in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Nursing career

In 1952, Radwanski trained as a nurse at the School of Nursing at the

Western Infirmary The Western Infirmary was a teaching hospital situated in Yorkhill in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland, that was managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It was opened in 1874 and closed in 2015. History After the University of Glasgow moved ...

, Glasgow. In 1962, she qualified as a

midwife A midwife (: midwives) is a health professional who cares for mothers and Infant, newborns around childbirth, a specialisation known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughou ...

at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow. After gaining some experience of nursing she studied for and obtained the Certificate in

Occupational Health Nursing Occupational health nursing is a specialty nursing practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers, worker populations, and community groups. The practice focuses on promotion, maintenance and restoration ...

of the

Royal College of Nursing The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a registered trade union and professional body in the United Kingdom for those in the profession of nursing. It was founded in 1916 as the College of Nursing, receiving its royal charter in 1928. Queen Eliz ...

. Radwanski was a pioneer in the training of occupational health nurses. Radwanski was Principal Nursing Officer of the

Central Middlesex Hospital Central Middlesex Hospital is in the centre of the Park Royal business estate, on the border of two London boroughs, Brent and Ealing. It is managed by the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. History The hospital was establi ...

Occupational health service from 1957 to 1962. This was for the benefit of industries in the locality. Radwanski was the first

occupational health nurse Occupational health nursing is a specialty nursing practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers, worker populations, and community groups. The practice focuses on promotion, maintenance and restoration ...

to be attached to a major hospital in the United Kingdom and she was an advocate for the establishment of Occupational Health Service for hospital staff. Radwanski became the Nursing Advisor to HJ Heinz Northern Factories,

British Leyland British Leyland was a British automotive engineering and manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formed in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd (BLMC), following the merger of Leyland Motors and British Motor Holdings. It wa ...

, and then the Nursing Superintendent pioneering the introduction of the Central Middlesex Industrial Health Service. In 1969, Radwanski was appointed Lecturer in the

University of Dundee The University of Dundee is a public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a university college in 1881 with a donation from the prominent Baxter family of textile manufacturers. The institution was, for most of its ...

and developed the Royal College of Nursing Occupational Health Certificate (OHNC) course there. Radwanski carried out a study of occupational health nursing in Scotland and was involved in a survey of health care provisions for the staff of health boards. Radwanski became the first Chief Nursing Advisor (1974 to 1983) to the newly formed Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS) (later known as the

Health and Safety Executive The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a British public body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare. It has additionally adopted a research role into occupational risks in Great B ...

). As Chief Nursing Advisor Radwanski advised the medical director on all nursing aspects and was actively involved in policy formation for the service. She was called upon for advice by Government departments and other national and international bodies. In 1984, Radwanski set up the Civil Service Occupational Health Service. She also worked as a consultant to many government departments, including the

Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister and Cabinet ...

and

Her Majesty's Prison Service His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and ...

. Radwanski was one of the two prime movers behind the government report 'The Way Ahead' in 1979. Radwanski had an international reputation and was a member of The Occupational Health Nursing Committee of the Permanent Commission and International Association on Occupational Health. From 1978 she served on its Nursing sub-committee. Radwanski advised on the development of occupational health nursing services and the education of occupational health nurses in Nigeria. Radwanski spoke at various conferences including the XVII/International Congress on Occupational Health Brighton, England, September 14–19, 1975. Radwanski was one of the very few occupational nurses in industry in the 1960. She was quoted In occupational health books including in "Working Lives: Work in Britain since 1945" by Arthur McIvor (2013), where she described conditions in the foundry at the

North British Locomotive Works The North British Locomotive Company (NBL, NB Loco or North British) was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp, Stewart and Company (Atlas Works), Neilson, Reid and Company (Hyde Park ...

in Glasgow: "'the air was black; the men were absolutely black. I was absolutely shocked and I said to somebody 'it's like Dante's inferno'".

Personal life

In 1960, she married Jozef Radwanski (d. 1999), a decorated Polish pilot who transferred to the RAF during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Following her retirement, she volunteered at the

Burrell Collection The Burrell Collection is a museum in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. It houses the art collection of William Burrell, Sir William Burrell and Constance Burrell, Constance, Lady Burrell. The museum opened in 1983 and reopened on ...

in Glasgow and took creative writing and computing courses. Radwanski's Christian faith was central to her life.

Death

Radwanski died on 29 December 2012.

Honours

* In 1981 Radwanski was elected Fellow of the

(FRCN). * In 1981 Radwanski was awarded the

Order of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

. * In 2013 the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners (UK) dedicated the book Contemporary Occupational Health Nursing to the memory to Dorothy Radwanski.

Bibliography

* Occupational health services: the way ahead. A discussion document issued by the

Health and Safety Commission The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) was a United Kingdom non-departmental public body. The HSC was created by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). It was formally established on 31 July 1974. The Commission consisted of a chairm ...

. (London, HMSO 1977) * The forgotten nine thousand. ''Nursing Mirror''. 155(14) pp. 46–48, 1982 * Occupational health services in Nigeria. ''International nursing review'', 1972 * An Experiment in Occupational Health Nursing Teaching. ''Occupational Health Nursing'', 1976 * with Semmence A (1984). Occupational health and the general practitioner. ''Journal of the

Royal College of General Practitioners The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is the professional body for general (medical) practitioners (GPs/ Family Physicians/ Primary Care Physicians) in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including ...

'' * with J.C.G. Pearson (1972). Occupational Health Nursing In Scotland. ''Occupational Medicine'', Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 122–125 * with J.C.G. Pearson (1974). Principles of Design of Occupational Health Records. ''Occupational Medicine'', Volume 24, Issue 1, Pages 17–24 * Radwanski, Dorothy M. (1961). "An Industrial Nurse in a General Hospital Occupational Health Unit". ''American Association of Industrial Nurses Journal''. 9 (3): 28–29. doi:10.1177/216507996100900309.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radwanski, Dorothy Fellows of the Royal College of Nursing People educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School 2012 deaths 1928 births Scottish nurses People from Ayr 20th-century Scottish women Academics of the University of Dundee British nursing administrators