Beverley Clare Hicks (nee Williams) was born in New Zealand in 1938. At the age of sixteen she began working as a nurse’s aide at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Auckland. From here, she began training at the same hospital and attained her Registered Nurse Diploma, after which she obtained her maternity nursing diploma from the National Women’s Hospital in Auckland.
Hicks came to Canada in 1962, and began to work at the Toronto General Hospital in the cardiac care unit. After returning to New Zealand to complete her midwifery training at St. Helens Hospital, she returned to Canada in 1964. She then completed Canadian university entrance equivalency courses in Vancouver while working at the Vancouver General Hospital emergency department. Because her nursing transcript included no psychiatric nursing, she travelled to Brandon in 1967 to participate in a six-month post-diploma course in psychiatric nursing.
Hicks’ passion was teaching, and after her six-month course was completed, she spent her time at the School of Nursing at the Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC), after which she was offered the opportunity to attend McGill University to obtain a Bachelor of Nursing degree with a psychiatric nursing specialty. Upon her return to Brandon, Hicks developed an in-service education program at the Brandon Mental Health Centre and began training psychiatric nurses to upgrade their skills, particularly in group therapy. She was also the first in Manitoba to train new community health workers. This community education sector of her career lasted nearly 20 years; she was responsible for travelling around Westman to deliver programs in suicide prevention, stress management along with other mental health topics.
As an educator, Hicks taught Family Life Education at Brandon University, Gerontology courses at Assiniboine Community College (ACC), and Counselling for the University of Manitoba Extension Department.
In the later part of her career, Hicks was responsible for resource and housing development for the final phase of the closure of the BMHC. While doing this, Hicks obtained a Masters Degree in Health Education in 1986 from the University of Manitoba.
The final stage of her education career consisted of being hired by Brandon University to teach in Canada’s first baccalaureate psychiatric nursing education program. Being in the education setting allowed Hicks to pursue further education at the doctorate level. Once she completed the required courses, Hicks retired from Brandon University to write her dissertation, "From Barnyards, to Bedsides to Books and Beyond: The Evolution and Professionalization of Psychiatric Nursing in Manitoba 1955-1980."
In 2020, with Lesley Peterson, Hicks published "Politics, Personalities, and Persistence: One Hundred Years of Psychiatric Nursing Education in Manitoba."
Beverley Hicks continues to live in Brandon, MB.
Custodial History
These records were in the possession of Beverley Hicks until she donated them to the S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University in December 2013.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of transcripts of interviews conducted by Hicks as part of the research for her PhD dissertation. The interviews were conducted with a variety of former psychiatric nurses, directors, educators and other ward staff regarding their experiences working at the Brandon Mental Health Centre and related groups and organizations. All of the interviews took place between March 2002 and October 2007, and all of the participants were over 65 years of age and had worked or trained between the 1940s and 1980s. The interviews conducted were not formal in nature, rather they were intended to be a casual conversation between Hicks and the interviewee. Each interview begins with a brief biography of the interviewee written by Hicks.
Each interviewee was interviewed once, except for Jack Holleman and Elinor Samuels. Hicks interviewed Hollman three times over the course of approximately a year. Samuels was interviewed twice.
Below is a brief account of specific topics and subjects discussed during each interview. This does not include the standard topics discussed in each interview (schooling, experiences, etc.):
Myrtle Barnett – Barnett was the wife of the first president of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba, Alf Barnett. During the interview, she discusses when the association began, and how Alf went to war from 1942 to 1945. It was during this time, Barnett claims, that her husband began to question why men could not be formally trained as psychiatric nurses. Barnett comments on how her husband treated the patients like human beings and discusses his relationship with the Association. She also talks about her husband’s time in World War II as well as their relationship.
Remi Beaudette – Beaudette was a long-time attendant/psychiatric nurse at the Brandon Mental Health Centre. His interview describes his participation in the association as well as what duties he conducted through his many years working at the centre. Beaudette goes into detail about the various wards he worked on and what his duties were on each specific ward.
Marlene Brichon – Brichon was one of the first psychiatric nurses to graduate under the first legislation of 1960. During her interview, she discusses the changes in medication and treatments during her time working as a psychiatric nurse, some of the incidents that occurred between nurses and patients, patients with schizophrenia (and what the nurses did to treat it), and her feelings towards the textbooks used in her schooling.
Jack Holleman – During Holleman’s interview, they discuss the association, his presidency, how he commissioned the Breen Report and how much he paid for it, as well as the report itself.
John Martyniw – During his interview he discussed his presidency of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba, the different locations he worked at (Selkirk Mental Hospital, Misericordia Hospital) as well as his teaching jobs (Selkirk as per the Province of Manitoba). Martyniw discussed his displeasure with how they treated him when he first came to Canada – as an attendant rather than a registered psychiatric nurse, as he was trained. They also discussed the textbooks used during his time as a teacher.
Annette Osted – During Osted’s interview, they discuss the Breen Report, a quote from Dr. Tavener, what patients should be called, Challenge and Change, The Task Force, and changes in legislation.
Shirley-Jo Paine – During Paine’s interview, they discuss her role in proposing the program for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses to Brandon University. They also discuss how supportive surrounding universities and colleges were of the new program at Brandon University.
Gerald Pronyk – Pronyk did not actively practice clinical psychiatric nursing, he focused his attention on the administrative and education side of nursing. The interview discusses his positions as the Director of Nursing Education in Selkirk, the Senior Nursing Administrative Officer, and a mental health program specialist in the mental health directorate in Winnipeg.
Janissa Read – During her interview, they discuss how she became interested in psychiatric nursing, how spirituality relates to psychiatric nursing, the distinction between a Registered Nurse and a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, and how others felt about the profession of a registered psychiatric nurse.
Elinor Samels – The interview begins with them discussing her achievements at the beginning of her career, after she finished school post-World War II. They follow up by discussing some of the patients she had to deal with, her participation in the Association, her coworkers and how they treated her, and how the new changes affected their day-to-day work.
Walter Tetzlaff – In addition to being a psychiatric nurse, Tetzlaff was also a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He discusses how much he got paid at the beginning of his career, how much his room and board cost during school, what school was like for him, the kinds of things he did after he got his degree, and the textbooks he needed for class. They also discussed what he did as a vocational counselor.
Tom Street – Street was the fifth president of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Manitoba and graduated from the Portage la Prairie School of Psychiatric Nursing in 1967. During his interview they talk about how he became interested into psychiatric nursing, where he did his schooling, how he was involved with the union and how he didn’t like it.
Notes
History/Bio information provided by Beverley Hicks. Description by Karmelle Tower (September 2018) and Christy Henry
The photograph was taken for the Centennial of Brandon College/University.
Scope and Content
Aerial photograph taken looking southwest from approximately the northeast corner of Princess Avenue and 17th Street. The entire campus, as well as a number of residential streets are visible.
The photograph may have been taken for Brandon University's centennial.
Scope and Content
Photograph is looking northeast from approximately Victoria Avenue and 21st Street and shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, the Assiniboine River and a number of residential neighbourhoods.
View is southwest from approximately Princess Avenue and 17th Street. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus in fall, as well as the southwest portion of the city.
View is south southwest from approximatley the east corner of 18th Street and Princess Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Earl Oxford school and a number of residential blocks, particularly southwest of 18th Street.
View is southeast from approximatley 23rd Street and Rosser Avenue. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Earl Oxford school, the Fair Grounds (including the Grandstand and Racetrack) and a number of residential blocks, particularly in the southeast part of the city.
View is west from 17th Street between Louise and Princess Avenues. Photograph shows the Brandon University Campus, Fleming School and Coronation Park, as well as a number of residential blocks.
View is southwest from the 200 block of 17th Street. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Fleming School and a number of residential blocks.
View is south southeast from approsimatley Rosser Avenue and 21st Street. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Earl Oxford School, the Fair Grounds (including the Grand Stand and Race Track), and a number of residential blocks.
View is south southwest from approximatley the southwest corner of 18th Street and Princess Avenue. Photograph shows the University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Earl Oxford School and residential blocks.
View is west from 17th Street between Louise and Princess Avenues to approximalety 25th Street. Photograph shows the University campus, Fleming School, Coronation Park and residential blocks.
A problem during development has obscured a portion of Kinsmen Stadium and the southeast corner of the campus.
Scope and Content
View is north from Victoria Avenue between 18th and 20th Streets to the railway tracks. Photograph shows Kinsmen Stadium, the College campus and a number of residential blocks.
View is northeast from approximately the southwest corner of Victoria Avenue and 22nd Street to the Assiniboine River near 1st Street. Photograph shows the College campus, Kinsmen Stadium, residential blocks, downtown and the railway tracks.
View is southeast from north of the corner of Princess Avenue and 22nd Street to approximatley Brandon Avenue. Photograph shows the University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Earl Oxford School, and residential blocks. Brandon Collegiate Institute (BCI) is visible in the upper left corner.
View is west southwest from approximatley the northside of Princess Avenue just east of 18th Street. Photograph shows the University campus, part of Kinsmen Stadium and residential blocks.
View is northwest from approximatley the southeast corner of 18th Street and Louise Avenue. Photograph shows the University campus and residential blocks.
View is southwest from approximatley the corner of 17th Street and Princess Avenue to McDiarmid Drive. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, Kinsmen Stadium, Fleming School, Coronation Park and residential blocks.
View is west northwest from aproximatley 15th Street and Louise Avenue to 34th Street. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, part of Kinsmen Stadium, Fleming School, Coronoation Park, Valleyview Centennial School, Sacred Heart School ?, and residential blocks.
View is west northwest from aproximatley 16th Street and Louise Avenue to west of 34th Street. Photograph shows the Brandon University campus, part of Kinsmen Stadium, Coronoation Park, Valleyview Centennial School, part of the Assiniboine River and residential blocks.
