CAHN '99 nursing stories that matter

In 1969, an Alberta nursing leader threatened to march naked around the legislature with her colleagues to protest Bill 115. This was but one of many fascinating historical facts that came to light at the 1999 annual conference of the Canadian Association for the History of Nursing (CAHN), held June 18 - 20 in Edmonton.

University of Alberta's Susan Young reported that nurses responded "quickly and efficiently" to Bill 115, which proposed to put RN registration, discipline, and diploma education under government control in response to a nursing shortage. The profession's ability to mobilize over Bill 115 can be a source of inspiration for today's nurses as they face current struggles with health care restructuring, professional legislation changes, and an international nursing shortage.

About 50 conference attendees, including CNA Past-President Shirley Stinson and AAR.N Honorary Member and former executive director Helen Sabin, heard a wide variety of presentations on the history of health care and nursing. Diana Mansell and Carolee Pollock presented patients' experiences of care at the Calgary General Hospital in the 1980s and 1990s, and Sharon Richardson recounted Gertrude Hall's influence on diploma nursing education and nursing services at the Calgary General, 1952 - 1960. Public health nursing in Alberta and B.C. from 1918 - 1939 was compared by Beverly Liepert, Judy Mill, and Susan Duncan, and Pauline Paul and Janet Ross-Kerr discussed the struggle to establish nursing services for Northern Alberta TB patients between 1920 and 1950.

Historical sources for psychiatric mental health nursing were co-presented by the AARN's Lorraine Mychajulnow along with Geertjie Boschma and Olive Yonge, and Patricia Marck reported on Edmonton Isolation Hospital nurses who protested housekeeping duties and other interference with nursing care in 1913.

The Hannah Lecture featured York University historian Kathryn McPherson who spoke about the Canadian Nurses Association's efforts to influence federal social policy from 1920 - 1970. Other national topics included Diane Godkin's review of ethical codes for Canadian nurses from 1954 to 1997; care of the dying in 20th century Canada from Susan Smith and Donna Wilson, and the development of ideas in nursing from Donna Wells.

International topics included Geertjie Boschma's presentation on Dutch asylum nursing 1890 - 1920, Janet Beaton on West China nursing education circa 1940, and Quincela Brunk on Russian nursing in the Crimea and American nursing in the Civil War.

Two other presentations examined the modernization of nursing practice from different perspectives. Cynthia Toman examined blood transfusion technology and changes to nursing practice at the Ottawa Civic between 1942 and 1990, and Esther Lamontagne compared French/Roman Catholic and English/Protestant professional ourselves and began work on this project three years ago.

A survey of member opinions on continuing competence was completed in 1997, a consultant to manage the project was hired in 1998, and a steering committee has begun to meet this year to develop objectives and criteria for program development. This committee has broad representation of many RNs; staff nurses from a variety of settings and geographical locations, UNA, senior and front-line managers, to name just a few.

What will this program look like?

The nursing practice standards, currently under review will serve as the foundation of the program. Each year all nurses will reflect on their practice through self-assessment and discussion with colleagues. In order to renew your registration. you will need to create a learning plan and complete the program.

Some call this lifelong learning. I call it leadership. Leadership in this case is about taking responsibility for your own competence by reflecting on your skills and working with colleagues to develop an environment in the workplace that supports learning. RNs have always done this informally. Now we will strengthen our profession by formalizing it.

The voice of registered nurses is being heard all over this country. This was particularly noticed during this past federal budget. Many nurses showed leadership during pre-budget discussion pushing funds for nursing research and health care. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) organized a lobby titled the "Quiet Crisis" and this lobby was effective in securing $25-million over the next 10 years for nursing research. The 1999 federal budget was called a "health" budget, but we call it a nursing budget in that for the first time in history, nursing was specifically identified in the budget.

Before I wrap up, here is (a) quote from Florence Nightingale that I wish to share with vou.

Let us be anxious to do well, not for selfish praise but to honor and advance the cause, the work we have taken up. Let us value our training not as it makes us cleverer or superior to others, but inasmuch as it enables us to be more useful and helpful to our fellow creatures, the sick, who most want our help. Let it be our ambition to be thorough good women ( and I add good men), good nurses, and never let us be ashamed of the name nurse.

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Jul/Aug 1999
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