Nurse joined the
New Zealand Army Nursing Service Corps on 10 August 1914 and quickly was selected for the contingent of six New Zealand nurses to be stationed at
Apia Hospital as part of the New Zealand
Samoan Expeditionary Forces. Nurse sailed alongside
Louise Alexa McNie and
Vida MacLean on board the
Monowai. Nurse remained in Samoa until March 1915, returning to New Zealand to then leave to serve in
Egypt on board the
SS Rotorua, in April 1915
. She became matron of Pont de Koubbeh Hospital, taking over Matron Michel. Later, she was transferred to the South of England to be matron at the
No 1 New Zealand General Hospital in
Brockenhurst. She stayed in this role until January 1917. On 6 February 1917, Nurse was called to attend a meeting in London, where she was told she would be recalled back to New Zealand. After some confusion, it was found out that this request was made by her medical officers purely due to friction between Nurse and the officers. Her requests to remain in England were denied and she spent the remainder of time in England at the Nurses Rest Home in
Sandwich. Nurse returned to New Zealand as matron on board the
HMNZT Maunganui on 17 March 1917. Matron
Hester Maclean supported Nurse in her unfair dismissal and found her work at the
Trentham Military Hospital. She then worked as matron at Masterton Hospital. Nurse was awarded a
Royal Red Cross, 1st Class and was
mentioned in dispatches in 1916. == Personal life ==