“Stand up and Be Counted”: Nursing at the Calgary General Hospital after the Second World War

The post-second World War period of reconstruction was a time of ferment for Canadian hospitals, and consequently, for hospital nursing work and education. Demand for hospital services, especially nursing, increased dramatically. At the same time, fewer young women were willing to enrol in hospital nurse-training programs. This article is a case study of how one voluntary western hospital—the Calgary General Hospital—grappled with the post-second World War shortage of both graduate nurses and student nurses, at a time of transition from a small, cottage-type hospital into a large, complex urban institution. The analysis offers insights into today's economically driven and politically controlled health care delivery system restructuring, while illuminating the contributions of one of Canada's least known nurse leaders—Gertrude May Hall.