on Nursing Education, Practice, and Entrepreneurship

The Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for the History of Nursing (CAHN/ACHN) took place on June 16, cohosted by the UBC Consortium for Nursing History Inquiry and the BC History of Nursing Society. The conference had a strong international representation with five nurse educators from several universities in Spain, several registrants from the US, and two attendees from the UK’s Centre for the History of Nursing and Midwifery. In total, there were 68 registrants, including 12 students and a post-doctoral fellow.

The Hannah Lecture, sponsored by Associated Medical Services, was delivered by Linda Bryder, a medical historian at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She spoke about the ways that her focus on nurses has enabled her to employ a social historical lens to her research on tuberculosis, public health, and women’s health. The conference also featured an opening panel on Aboriginal Health History which was held in acknowledgement of the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee reports in December 2015. Panel speakers included Dr Bryder, Dr Laurie Meijer Drees and recent UBC School of Nursing MSN graduate April MacNaughton.

One of the new innovative features of the conference this year was a live interview! Dr Lynn Kirkwood interviewed Dr Alice Baumgart about her incredible experiences as a nurse leader. It was a fantastic conversation and we look forward to this as a regular feature in conferences to come.

The banquet was a great opportunity to connect and re-connect with friends and colleagues. The dinner featured an opera performance.

The closing panel on nursing in the context of war and peace was another highlight of the conference, featuring Andrea McKenzie, Susan Armstrong-Reid and Christine Hallett.

Contributed by Lydia Wytenbroek

“Brains, Guts and Gumption”

St. Paul’s Hospital (Providence Health Care), proved the perfect venue for an event celebrating the history of nursing, as it is one of the oldest hospitals in BC. It was founded in 1894 by the Sisters of Providence as a 25-bed compassionate care hospital. Attendees were able to explore the hospital’s rich history through a guided tour. This included a detailed timeline touching on historical events that have impacted the hospital, such as the population explosion during the Klondike gold rush–prompting expansion, and medical advances such as the hospital’s first X-Ray machine, purchased in 1906. Of singular importance were the contributions of the nursing sisters throughout the years. A hallway in the acute care building is lined with nursing graduation photographs dating back to 1911, offering, among other things, a glimpse into the history of nursing uniforms. Notably, the original plans for St Paul’s had been developed by Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart: a Sister of Providence who had also been instrumental in building two other BC hospitals, and who has been honoured by the American Institute of Architecture as “the first architect of the Pacific Northwest” – an excellent example of the conference title: “Brains, Guts & Gumption”, as well as a testament to the resourcefulness and leadership qualities of nurses in general.