A History of Nursing (Hardback)

Nutting and Dock's 4-volume study stands as one of the great works on the history of nursing. Mary Adelaide Nutting (1858-1948) was a renowned American nursing educator and writer. She strongly advocated university education for nurses and was herself the first ever professor of nursing. Aside from the "History" she wrote many works on the educational and economic aspects of nursing. Lavinia Lloyd Dock (1858-1956), her co-author for the first two volumes, was Secretary of the International Council of Nurses for more than 20 years. She wrote extensively on nursing matters, in particular as an ardent advocate of legislation to control nursing practice. The writing of the "History" was an enormous undertaking. Covering both American and English history, volumes 1and 2 are concerned with the evolution of nursing systems, tracing the developments from the earliest times to the foundation of the first English and American training schools for nurses. Volumes 3 and 4, edited by Dock alone, make special reference to the period 1880-1910. The work should be of interest for any historian of medicine, specialists in women's history and scholars of social welfare. Those interested in the work of Florence Nightingale will find coverage of the mid-19th century period and the advent of Nightingale's training schools for nurses.