The nurse as a social worker

Abstract

The role of the nurse 100 years ago was beginning to expand very slowly from that of visiting patients at home (known as private duty nursing) to that of institutional roles such as a workhouse or general hospital nurse. In an article in the BJN, 3 September 1910, Miss HL Pearse outlined directions the nurse's role was taking in the community. There were very few social workers in those days and often much of this type of work came from charitable acts by individuals and philanthropists. In her article, Miss Pearse comments that because of the way nurses were trained in those days, it made them good candidates for such social and nursing roles.