# Marjorie Chambers

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{{Short description|New Zealand nurse (1906–1989)}}
{{for|the American educator, historian, and politician|Marjorie Bell Chambers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2019}}
'''Eileen Marjorie Fosbery Chambers''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=85%}} (29 May 1906 &ndash; 6 April 1989) was a New Zealand nurse, hospital matron, nursing tutor and administrator. She was born in [Sydney](/source/Sydney), [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales), [Australia](/source/Australia) on 29 May 1906.<ref name="DNZB Chambers">{{DNZB|title=Eileen Marjorie Fosbery Chambers|first= Patricia A.|last= Sargison|id=5c17|accessdate=23 April 2017}}</ref>

==Early life==
Chambers was born in Sydney on 29 May 1906 to Fosbery Maunsell Nancarrow, a shipping clerk, and Violet Marjorie Campbell. The family moved to [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch) around 1910 and Chambers attended the private girls' school [St Margaret's College](/source/St_Margaret's_College%2C_Christchurch). Her father would not allow her to go to university so instead she became a governess.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Chambers, Eileen Marjorie Fosbery|url = http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5c17/chambers-eileen-marjorie-fosbery|website = www.teara.govt.nz|access-date = 2016-01-31|language = en|first = New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|last = Taonga}}</ref> In 1927, Chambers married a sheepfarmer, Bernard Chambers; however the marriage didn't last and the couple was divorced in 1938.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==
In need of a career, Chambers applied to [Christchurch Hospital](/source/Christchurch_Hospital) for training and became a registered nurse in 1940. She completed [Plunket Society](/source/Plunket_Society) training to become a nurse for mothers and new babies the following year, postgraduate training in [Wellington](/source/Wellington) in 1944 and maternity nurse training at Hutt Hospital in 1948. As a result, she was appointed a tutor sister in Christchurch and in 1949 became matron at [Oamaru](/source/Oamaru) Hospital.<ref name=":0" /> While in the position, she planned and developed new buildings such as laboratories, kitchens, maternity wing and nurses' home.

In 1952 she was promoted again, to matron of Christchurch Hospital, and held this role until 1963 when she was appointed matron-in-chief of all the hospital board's institutions.<ref name=":0" /> As matron at Christchurch Hospital, she implemented a number of changes to services, including curtain screens between beds, changes to visiting hours and ward routines, and a nursing technique committee to standardise practices.<ref name=":0" /> Chambers was an advocate for nursing education, and opened nurse training schools and also offered study programmes for staff. She also sought to attract older and married women to the profession, and supported a shorter community nursing programme introduced in 1966.<ref name=":0" /> During her time at Christchurch she also oversaw the opening of [Princess Margaret Hospital](/source/Princess_Margaret_Hospital%2C_Christchurch), additions to nurses' homes and a building programme for the main Christchurch Hospital.<ref name=":0" />

In the [1963 New Year Honours](/source/1963_New_Year_Honours_(New_Zealand)), Chambers was appointed an [Officer of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire).<ref>{{London Gazette |date=1 January 1963|supp=3 |issue=42872 |page=40}}</ref>

In 1988, Chambers published her autobiography, ''My Life in Nursing.'' She died in Christchurch the following year, aged 83.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Eileen Marjorie Fosbery}}
Category:1906 births
Category:1989 deaths
Category:20th-century New Zealand nurses
Category:Australian emigrants to New Zealand
Category:People educated at St Margaret's College
Category:New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:New Zealand women nurses
Category:New Zealand hospital administrators
{{NewZealand-med-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Marjorie Chambers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Chambers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Chambers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.