عنوان

The influence of the staff of the Ministry of Health on policies for nursing 1919-1968.

Number

TLets318208

Title Proper

The influence of the staff of the Ministry of Health on policies for nursing 1919-1968.

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Scott, Elizabeth J. C.

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1994

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)

Text preceding or following the note

1994

Text of Note

This thesis examines the role and influence of the administrative Civil Service on thedevelopment of policies on nursing and the role played by the nurses employed on the staffof the Ministry of Health. The period studied is the life time of the Ministry of Health,1919- 1968. Throughout this period nurses were employed within the Ministry in varioustypes of advisory roles. It was also a period when Ministers of Health, and consequentlytheir Civil Servants, had legislative responsibilities and policy interests in the adequateprovision of nursing services in hospital and public health services. -The main hypothesis addressed here is that throughout this period, the administrative CivilService demonstrated a more constructive and realistic view of nursing and of theconthbution made by nurses to the delivery of health care services than the profession's ownrepresentatives and leaders.During this period there were five nursing issues which appeared as matters of concern tothe Ministry, and while these issues were of concern to central government they could alsohave been expected to be of central importance to the nursing profession. These issues werenurse registration, recruitment, remuneration, education and training and management andthey provide common themes running through this thesis. The study is presented inchronological order and these issues provide the subject context and illustrations of howdecisions, on nursing issues, were taken in the Ministry of Health. Some historians andcommentators have suggested that the nursing profession was curtailed in what it wanted toachieve for their profession by the Civil Service and the medical profession. In this thesisa contrary conclusion is drawn. Nursing appears as a leaderless profession, lacking anysense of cohesiveness, political awareness or assertiveness and consequently unable to exploitthe available opportunities and political support to establish a voice for nursing in theformulation of health policies or in the distribution of resources. While the representativesand leaders of nursing were protecting professional boundaries it was the administrative civilservants who became involved in forward looking debates on the delivery of services andstandard of nursing care.

History

Scott, Elizabeth J. C.

London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London)

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y