Nursing History Research Unit
The Nursing History Research Unit provides a focus for nursing history within New South Wales and, through linkages with other organisations and individuals, across Australia.
The major aim of the Unit is to foster scholarship in nursing and health care history through research, education, and the development of links between those either working in, or who wish to work in, nursing and health care history. Collaboration between the Unit and major archival and/or museum collections relevant to nursing and health care history is also fostered.
The Unit has developed a substantial collection of Research Archives
The Unit builds upon the expertise of the staff and students within the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery who are actively engaged in researching, writing and publishing in the area of nursing and health care history. It also builds upon the linkages these staff and students have developed with other organisations and individuals within New South Wales and across Australia including a number of major nursing and health care archival and museum resources.
The Unit is currently associated with, for example, The New South Wales College of Nursing, Australia Archives, The Florence Nightingale - Lucy Osburn Foundation, Sydney Hospital and the Australian Nursing History Project.
Internationally the Unit collaborates with the United Kingdom Centre for the History of Nursing (Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh and the Royal College of Nursing) and Profesor Ann Marie Rafferty, Nursing Research Policy Unit, King's College London, UK.
The Unit will foster scholarship in nursing and health care history by:
- members and associates of the Unit being actively engaged in researching, writing and publishing;
- promoting and fostering historical research;
- supervising students undertaking postgraduate research;
- being a resource for other researchers in the field;
- providing a resource to those engaged in teaching in this area in the undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programs offered by the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery;
- becoming engaged in other relevant activities that have the potential to promote scholarship in this area;
- developing links with other established nursing and health care history units (or centres) both nationally and internationally;
- liaising with individual historians working in the area of nursing and health care;
- establishing a website which will provide ongoing information about the Unit and its activities;
- promoting the collection and protection of relevant historical records;
- developing a specialised electronic archive of significant material that can be used by those undertaking research into this area;
- providing advice on the location of available historical sources and encouraging their development and/or use;
- seeking internal and external funding to support this historical research.
R Lynette Russell AO is undertaking research into the NSW Bush Nursing Association (in collaboration with Mrs Judith Cornell AM) for publication in late 2006.
Sue Forsyth PhD is undertaking research into, for example, Ms Olive Anstey.
Ruth Rae PhD, continues her extensive research into Australian Army Nurses, World War One.
Joyce Edwards has undertaken research into the history of Australian Army Nurses, 1939-1946. She has an outstanding collection of oral history audiotapes of many of the nurses who served, and survived, this conflict and has completed an accurate nominal roll of those who served (including any awards) during this time.
Emeritus Professor R Lynette Russell AO is the Director of the Nursing History Research Unit.
Other associates with the Unit within the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery include:
Dr Sue Forsyth, Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow
Emeritus Professor Noeline Kyle
Post-graduate students of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery who have worked with the above include:
Dr Cheryl Cordery
Dr Ruth Rae
Narelle Biedermann
Elizabeth Harford
Dr Peter Short
University of Ottawa Nursing History Research Unit
For further information please contact:
Gloria Paterson, Tel. (02) 9351 0696 - Fax. (02) 9351 0651
Email: