Sacred Office, Trade or Profession? The Dilemma of Nurses' Involvement in Industrial Activities in Queensland, 1900 to 1950

Abstract

Nursing developed as an acceptable profession for women in the latter half of the nineteenth century and encompassed the work of caring for the sick in the community. Nurses' devotion to humanity was accepted as the central focus of their work and the main platform through which enhanced status could be achieved. However, this devotion and sacrifice of self for the sake of their patients was exhibited through more onerous working conditions than those of other workers, a characteristic that was not applied to male health workers such as doctors and dentists. These factors mean that historically nurses have been extremely reluctant to take industrial action. From its formation in 1904 until 1950 the nursing organisation in Queensland carefully eschewed collective bargaining and only engaged in industrial activities when forced to do so. The characteristics of the nursing profession as it developed during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were very important in determining the objectives and actions of nursing organisations and this influence was still being felt in 1950.