Negotiating nursing: British Army sisters and soldiers in the Second World War (Nursing History and Humanities)

Negotiating nursing explores how the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Q.A.s) salvaged men within the sensitive gender negotiations of what should and could constitute nursing work and where that work could occur. The book argues that the Q.A.s, an entirely female force during the Second World War, were essential to recovering men physically, emotionally and spiritually from the battlefield and for the war, despite concerns about their presence on the frontline. The book maps the developments in nurses? work as the Q.A.s created a legitimate space for themselves in war zones and established nurses? position as the expert at the bedside. Using a range of personal testimony the book demonstrates how the exigencies of war demanded nurses alter the methods of nursing practice and the professional boundaries in which they had traditionally worked, in order to care for their soldier-patients in the challenging environments of a war zone. Although they may have transformed practice, their position in war was highly gendered and it was gender in the post-war era that prevented their considerable skills from being transferred to the new welfare state, as the women of Britain were returned to the home and hearth. The aftermath of war may therefore have augured professional disappointment for some nursing sisters, yet their contribution to nursing knowledge and practice was, and remains, significant. ' Negotiating nursing: British army sisters and soldiers in the Second World War explores how the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Q.A.s) salvaged men within the sensitive gender negotiations of what should and could constitute nursing work and where that work could occur. The book argues that the Q.A.s, an entirely female force during the Second World War, were essential to recovering men physically, emotionally and spiritually from the battlefield and for the war, despite concerns about their presence on the frontline. The book maps the developments in nurses' work as the Q.A.s created a legitimate space for themselves in war zones and established nurses' position as experts at the bedside. Using a range of personal testimony, the book demonstrates how the exigencies of war demanded nurses alter the methods of nursing practice and the professional boundaries in which they had traditionally worked in order to care for their soldier-patients in the challenging environments of a war zone. Yet, although they may have transformed practice, their position in war was highly gendered and it was gender in the post-war era that prevented their considerable skills from being transferred to the new welfare state, as the women of Britain were returned to the home and hearth. The book is aimed predominantly at academics and postgraduate students working in the history of nursing, the 'medical war' and gender history. Its lively narrative and use of personal testimonies mean that it will also be of interest to undergraduate students of nursing, medicine and history more widely, and of significant interest to members of the military medical services and the lay public' --Back cover Negotiating Nursing explores how the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Q.A.s) salvaged their soldier-patients within the sensitive gender negotiations of what should and could constitute nursing work and where that work could occur. The book argues that the Q.A.s, an entirely female force during the Second World War, were essential to recovering men from the battlefield and for the war, despite concerns about women's presence on the frontline. Using personal testimony the book maps the developments in nurses'work as they created a legitimate space for themselves in war zones and established their position as the expert at the bedside. Yet, despite the acknowledgement of nurses'vital role in the medical service, their position was gendered. As the women of Britain were returned to the home post-war, it was the military nurses'womanhood that stymied their considerable skills from being transferred to the new welfare state. 'Negotiating Nursing' explores how the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Q.A.s) salvaged their soldier-patients within the sensitive gender negotiations of what should and could constitute nursing work and where that work could occur. The text argues that the Q.A.s, an entirely female force during the Second World War, were essential to recovering men from the battlefield and for the war, despite concerns about women's presence on the frontline. Using personal testimony the book maps the developments in nurses' work as they created a legitimate space for themselves in war zones and established their position as the expert at the bedside Front matter Dedication Contents List of figures Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Introduction: Nursing work and nurses’ space in the Second World War: a gendered construction Salvaging soldiers, comforting men Challenging nursing spaces Nursing presence Negotiating the boundaries of nursing practice Reasserting work, space and gender boundaries at the end of the Second World War Conclusion Bibliography Index The mobility of the Second World War, brought on by ‘technological advances in destructive capabilities’ needed new type of medical service. Success meant that expert care was needed near the frontline. -- . Jane Brooks. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 205-228) And Index.