Table of Contents

Introduction. Constructing a New History of Nursing 1. ‘The search for self-esteem’ 2. ‘The majority are ladies, a great many domestics’ 3. Probationer Schemes: education or cheap labour? 4. ‘Treat Your Good Nurses Well’: a recipe for nurse retention 5. The Development of Nursing as a Career 6. A Quest for Independence

About the Author

Sue Hawkins is a researcher at Kingston University, UK.

Reviews

'The book is produced to a high standard. Each chapter is followed by a fascinating one-page pen portrait of a nurse whose life story Dr Hawkins has reconstructed. The absorption of such accounts (or extracts from them) into the text would have further animated the argument, which is well supported by graphs and occasional illustrations.' - Anne Borsay, Medical History Journal'Sue Hawkins has produced an important addition to nursing history, which demonstrates persuasively the benefits of engaging with the broader historical context.' - Anne Borsay, Medical History Journal

"Trained historians like Hawkins are bringing new perspectives, new questions, and new methods to bear on issues that the history of nursing is uniquely positioned to address.' - Patricia D’Antonio, Nursing History Review 'This book is, in the end, only about one group of women—those of St. George’s. They are a fascinating group, many of whom, with Hawkins’ new questions and techniques, come across as fully developed individuals with lives before, during, and after training. At this point, we do not know how reflective they and their experiences are of women who trained in other London hospitals, such as Guy’s or St. Bartholomew’s, or those who trained in smaller and different kinds of hospitals throughout England. However, we do now know the strengths of microhistory and the value of census data in allowing us to access the lives of women who chose to work as nurses." - Patricia D’Antonio, Nursing History Review