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A historical description of the tensions in the development of modern nursing in nineteenth‐century Britain and their influence on contemporary debates about evidence and practice
Author(s) -
Traynor Michael
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
nursing inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.66
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1800
pISSN - 1320-7881
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1800.2007.00381.x
Subject(s) - embodied cognition , faith , managerialism , context (archaeology) , utilitarianism , sociology , sensibility , aesthetics , environmental ethics , political science , epistemology , history , law , philosophy , public relations , archaeology
Modern British nursing developed from the mid‐nineteenth century and was seen as a morally purifying activity and as a potential force for social cohesion. It was also considered an activity fit for women. However, it embodied a fundamental tension within Victorian sensibility between a kind of rationalistic utilitarianism and a faith in transcendent values. This paper explores this tension and suggests that it can be detected in current debates about practice and evidence in nursing in the contemporary context of a rise of managerialism in public services.