On April 8 1915 the first fifty New Zealand Army Nursing Service (NZANS) nurses to serve in the First World War sailed from Wellington. To celebrate the event we are highlighting some other records associated with the history of nursing in New Zealand. The images presented this week in relation to nursing have all come from a collection of records transferred to Archives New Zealand by the School of Advanced Nursing Studies (SANS)

The need for increased educational opportunities for nurses was recognised in 1923 by the first director of Nursing, Department of Health, Miss J. Bicknell, who, influenced by developments overseas, considered that similar opportunities should be available in New Zealand to prepare nurses for administrative and teaching responsibilities in the hospital and public health nursing services. She presented her views to a conference of the New Zealand Registered Nurses' Association, from which a strong recommendation was forwarded to the Government asking for the establishment of a school of nursing in conjunction with the University of New Zealand. This School was commenced in 1925 offering a five-year diploma programme. The students registered at the University of Otago for two years and then spent three years at a hospital. This course was discontinued in 1926 due to lack of finance. A school for post-graduate nursing study was established in 1928 within the Wellington Hospital complex. The school was guided by a Committee of Management, which had representatives from Victoria University of Wellington, the Department of Health and Wellington Hospital Board. The school later become known as the New Zealand Post-Graduate School for Nurses and initially offered a six-month course. Courses were conducted by the Department of Health, Victoria University College, Wellington Hospital and the Royal Sanitary Institute of Great Britain. In 1940 Wellington Teachers’ Training College also participated in lectures at the school. In 1952 the length of the course was extended to nine months. In 1970 the school changed its name to the New Zealand School of Advanced Nursing Studies. In 1972 the School’s Management Committee was disbanded and reconstructed as the Advisory Committee to the School. The Advisory Committee had representatives from the New Zealand Registered Nurses Association plus the Department of Health, the Hospital Boards and Victoria University of Wellington. During the 1970s the curriculum was revised to meet the many changes in the nursing environment. The date of the school’s disestablishment is not known, but is estimated to be around 1979. This image is of the Native Health Nurses, posing for a picture to mark the visit of the Prince of Wales to Rotorua in 1920. Some of the nurses who served in WW1 are pictured here, such as Nurse Mabel Vos.

Reference:

ADEU 16391 SANS22 7/136 archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=13235488

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