Origins of General Nursing by Maggs, Christopher;

Short description:

Originally published in 1983 this book examines the beginnings of the nursing profession in its present form through one generation of general hospital nurses, Voluntary and Poor Law based, who were recruited and trained between 1881 and 1914. As such, they were the first to go through a co-ordinated and standardised training programme.

Long description:

Originally published in 1983 this book examines the beginnings of the nursing profession in its present form through one generation of general hospital nurses, Voluntary and Poor Law based, who were recruited and trained between 1881 and 1914. As such, they were the first to go through a co-ordinated and standardised training programme. This study is concerned with the way in which women chose and were chosen to be general nurses and the consequences that their decisions subsequently had for the profession. Unlike previous books on nursing history, this study addresses itself to the history of nursing techniques, to the changing attitudes towards nurses and patients and to the popular contemporary image of nurses over the years.

Original Reviews of The Origins of General Nursing:

‘It is a valuable contribution to nursing history, primarily because it raises serious points of controversy.’ Nursing Mirror

‘This book is a welcome addition to the growing number of studies in the history of nurses and nursing.’ Social History Society Newsletter

Table of Contents:

Introduction. 1.The Background. Appendix: Women’s ‘White Blouse’ Work 1881–1914 2. Recruitment: Social and Occupational Mobility 3. Training and Education 4. Careers in Nursing 5. The Third Sex: Summary and Conclusions.