LibGuides: Who cares? A history of emotions in nursing: War

Resources on war

Who cares? A History of Emotions in Nursing
On display at the RCN Library and Heritage Centre from 22 January 2020.

Did you know emotions have a history? Find out about the emotions associated with nursing, from ideas of religious love and faith, motherhood and femininity, to the role of military discipline, anger and activism.

War is one of the most challenging working environments for any nurse. The propaganda surrounding nursing in the First World War showed a particular kind of nurse. This was a woman who demonstrated fortitude, self-sacrifice and remained cheerful when faced with danger and crises. The reality was very different. Many nurses experienced shell shock during the conflict, which often went unreported and uncared for. The expectation on nurses to be resilient remains, despite short-staffing and a lack of resources.

Below is a list of resources that accompanies the theme of war and nursing.

Edith Cavell (Centenary Edition) by Souhami, D.
ISBN: 9781784291327
Publication Date: 2015
Diana Souhami brings one of the Great War's finest heroes to life in this biography of a hardworking, courageous and independent woman.
Nurse Writers of the Great War by Hallett, C.E
Publication Date: 2016
By combining biographical research with textual analysis, Nurse writers of the great war opens a window onto their insights into the nature of nursing and the impact of warfare.
Preventing War and Promoting Peace by Wiist, W.H., White, S.K
Publication Date: 2017
Preventing War and Promoting Peace provides hard-hitting facts about the devastating health effects of war and a broad perspective on war and health, presenting a new paradigm for the proactive engagement of health professions in the prevention of war and the promotion of peace.
Nurses in War by Scannell-Desch, E. Doherty, M.E.
Publication Date: 2012-03-01
The text is divided into thematic chapters on essential issues: how the nurses separated from their families and the uncertainties they faced in doing so; their response to horrific injuries that combatants, civilians and children suffered; working and living in Iraq and Afghanistan for extended periods; personal health issues; and what it meant to care for enemy insurgents and detainees.
One Hundred Years of Wartime Nursing Practices, 1854-1953 by Brooks, J., Hallett, C.
Publication Date: 2015
This book examines the work that nurses of many differing nations undertook during the Crimean War, the Boer War, the Spanish Civil War, both World Wars and the Korean War.