Military influence on the British civilian nursing profession, 1939-1969
This thesis examines the impact of military influence on civilian nursing development from the outbreak of war in 1939 until the restructuring of nurse administration in 1969. It will be argued that a military imposition on civilian nursing was responsible for hindering professional progress and preventing reform. This argument challenges the orthodox view of nursing history which maintains that nurses adopted a variety of professionalization strategies in order to gain credibility and state recognition. This recognition was only achieved as a result of a thirty year battle, during which status became an over-riding concern. This thesis argues that the medical demands of the Second World War threatened the professional foundations of nursing organization, and nurses responded by adopting militarization strategies in an effort to raise and protect their status. These militarization strategies affected all aspects of nursing practice and organizational development, and held significant implications for the post-war reconstruction of health -care delivery. Traditional studies of nursing history in this period have concentrated on the civilian nursing records alone, and have therefore overlooked the military dimension
Starns, Penny
History
Military influence on the British civilian nursing profession, 1939-1969. This thesis examines the impact of military influence on civilian nursing development from the outbreak of war in 1939 until the restructuring of nurse administration in 1969. It will be argued that a military imposition on civilian nursing was responsible for hindering professional progress and preventing reform. This argument challenges the orthodox view of nursing history which maintains that nurses adopted a variety of professionalization strategies in order to gain credibility and state recognition. This recognition was only achieved as a result of a thirty year battle, during which status became an over-riding concern. This thesis argues that the medical demands of the Second World War threatened the professional foundations of nursing organization, and nurses responded by adopting militarization strategies in an effort to raise and protect their status. These militarization strategies affected all aspects of nursing practice and organizational development, and held significant implications for the post-war reconstruction of health -care delivery. Traditional studies of nursing history in this period have concentrated on the civilian nursing records alone, and have therefore overlooked the military dimension
military influence british civilian nursing profession examines_impact military influence civilian nursing development outbreak_war restructuring nurse administration argue military imposition civilian nursing responsible hinder professional progress prevent reform argument challenge orthodox view nurse history maintains nurse adopt variety professionalization strategy order_gain credibility state recognition recognition achieve battle status become over riding concern argues medical demand second_world_war threaten professional foundation nurse organization nurse respond adopt strategy effort raise protect status strategy affect aspect nurse practice organizational development hold significant_implication post_war reconstruction health_care delivery traditional study nurse history period concentrate civilian nursing record alone therefore overlook military dimension