A historical study of men in nursing

Abstract

This study outlines a brief history of men as nurses in the United Kingdom. It uses a variety of historical sources, primary archival, oral history and secondary sources to retell the history of nursing with emphasis on the frequently neglected place of men within it. History appears to indicate that men have had a place in nursing for as long as records are available, but their contribution has been perceived as negligible, largely because of the dominant influence that the 19th century female nursing movement has had on the occupation's historical ideology. The study indicates that men have an equally valid historical role within nursing, and that this should be acknowledged when considering male nurses' position within the nursing profession.