From apprenticeship to study--the development of nursing education in Norway.

Abstract

Norway, as one of the small countries in the world, in terms of surface area and population (4.1 million), is nevertheless a diverse and ‘large’ country due to long distances, tall mountains and a large number of fjords dividing the country into many separate areas. The distance between Oslo and the northernmost city (in the world), Hammerfest, is equal to the distance from Oslo to mid-Italy. The most eastern part of the country is on the same latitude as Istanbul. A substantial population of Lapps and people immigrated from Finland are living in the northern part of Norway. Ethnic and cultural differences are also known in the southern part of Norway due to different groups of immigrants. In conclusion, Norway is less homogeneous than is generally known. As people anytime and everywhere may be in need of health-care, hospitals and schools of nursing have been established all over the country. The result is a large number of schools in nursing: 32 schools are offering programmes in basic education, 11 schools are offering post-basic education, advanced education in nursing is offered in three places in the country and more than 30 programmes in clinical specialities are offered by hospitals around the country. At present there are more than 36,000 nurses in Norway and an average of 1,200 new nurses are graduating each year. The history of nursing education in Norway started in 1868. This year Diakonisseanstalten (The Institution for Deaconesses), in Kristiania (later Oslo), a hospital for the indigent was opened. Two women, Rikke Nissen and Cathinka Guldberg, were to be the core persons who prepared the groundwork for the development of modern nursing in Norway. Rikke Nissen had some years earlier been to Kaiserswerth in Germany to study the organization of that institution. She returned to Norway and with some friends started a group for ‘The development of Christian nursing’. The work of this group is said to have been one of the initiating factors in establishing the Diakonisseanstalten (Wyller, 1974). Cathinka Guldberg who was trained at Kaiserswerth was called home to Norway to be appointed as matron of Diakonisseanstalten. On 20 November 1868 she started her work at the hospital, and one pupil was admitted. Diakonisseanstalten was grounded on Christian morality, and it was stated that “Nursing should be an act of Christian love and