The professionalisation of mental nursing in Great Britain, 1850-1950
This thesis takes the form of an investigation into the lack of progress towards the professionalisation of mental nurses during the period 1850 to 1950 and concentrates on their failure to become a professional sub-group within nursing. The proposal is put forward that their relative failure to advance was due to the fact that mental nurses were controlled and dominated by other more powerful health care groups with their own agendas. These were the asylum doctors in the (Royal) Medico-Psychological Association ((R)MPA), and the doctors and general trained nurses in the General Nursing Council (GNC). During the 1850s the (R)MPA's main concern was to raise the status of asylum doctors. The association aimed to achieve this by developing the care and treatment of the insane into another recognised speciality of medicine. To do this they needed to hospitalise the asylums, a process which would include transforming asylum attendants into qualified mental nurses. To this end a mental nursing textbook was published by the (R)MPA in 1885. This was followed by the inauguration of a national training scheme with certification for successful candidates. In order to advance the goal of hospitalisation, female nurses
Arton, Michael
History
The professionalisation of mental nursing in Great Britain, 1850-1950. This thesis takes the form of an investigation into the lack of progress towards the professionalisation of mental nurses during the period 1850 to 1950 and concentrates on their failure to become a professional sub-group within nursing. The proposal is put forward that their relative failure to advance was due to the fact that mental nurses were controlled and dominated by other more powerful health care groups with their own agendas. These were the asylum doctors in the (Royal) Medico-Psychological Association ((R)MPA), and the doctors and general trained nurses in the General Nursing Council (GNC). During the 1850s the (R)MPA's main concern was to raise the status of asylum doctors. The association aimed to achieve this by developing the care and treatment of the insane into another recognised speciality of medicine. To do this they needed to hospitalise the asylums, a process which would include transforming asylum attendants into qualified mental nurses. To this end a mental nursing textbook was published by the (R)MPA in 1885. This was followed by the inauguration of a national training scheme with certification for successful candidates. In order to advance the goal of hospitalisation, female nurses
professionalisation mental nursing great_britain take_form investigation lack progress_towards professionalisation mental nurse period concentrate failure become professional sub group_within nursing proposal put_forward relative failure advance due_fact mental nurse control dominate powerful health_care group agendas asylum doctor royal psychological association doctor general trained nurse general nursing council main_concern raise_status asylum doctor association aim_achieve develop care treatment insane another recognise medicine need asylum process would include transform asylum attendant qualify mental nurse end mental nursing textbook publish follow inauguration national training scheme certification successful candidate order advance goal female nurse