McPherson, Essay Example

In Chapter 7, McPherson discusses the manner in which Canadian nurses became increasingly unwilling to accept the status quo as it pertained to their nursing work.  McPherson writes that there was a “fundamental transformation occurring in nurses’ collective consciousness” (McPherson 249) that led (female) nurses to move towards unionization while questioning the manner in which women’s work tended to be seen as less important than the work of men.  This newfound awareness “prompted nurses to question the concepts of femininity and professionalism that had been central to their occupational identity and organizational form” (249).  Nurses came to reject the notion that their work was valuable only because of its reinforcement of traditional ‘helping’ roles associated with women’s work, and fought to gain acceptance in the field as being professionals in their own right.  The feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s played a part in this struggle, as did the educational changes in Canadian nursing.  Advanced practice nursing became more prevalent, replacing the hospital apprenticeship training schools, as many nurses sought professional status through the pursuit of baccalaureate degrees.  Reflecting the overall societal changes, as well, was the increasing diversity of the field in terms of the employment of nurses of colour.  This played a role both in the areas taught in nursing school and the manner in which nurses related to non-white patients.  McPherson writes that because of “the broader social emphasis on multiculturalism and to the continued immigration of nurses from non-European nations, some Canadian nurses began to identify ethnically specific needs of themselves and their patients” (258).  Such changes reflect the overall changes in Canadian identity and social constructions, illustrating that the role of nurses is intricately connected to the society in which they work.  This suggests that the future of nursing will continue to be impacted by the economic, social, and political changes that impact on Canadian society as a whole.

Prior to reading Bedside Matters, my knowledge of the history of Canadian nursing was fairly limited.  Most of my understanding of nursing over the last century was confined to what I’d seen in American period films featuring nurses as selfless ‘angels’ attending to wounded soldiers during WWII.  McPherson’s book has opened my eyes to the real women who actively worked to make nursing in Canada the profession that it is today.  I am now much more aware of the work that has been done by previous generations of nurses that  enables me to pursue my own personal nursing dreams.  There is a great deal that I’ve taken for granted, as a woman in the twenty-first century.  Reading McPherson’s text has allowed me to realize that while modern nurses share a great deal with their earlier counterparts, including the desire to heal and nurture the sick, the people working in nursing today have a great deal more autonomy and freedom to pursue higher education and an increased level or professionalization than their predecessors.

Bedside Matters has increased my critical thinking skills a great deal.  McPherson provided many complicated historical concepts, and my ability to understand them as well as to apply them to the current field of nursing is one skill that Bedside Matters has helped me improve upon.  I am now more aware of the importance of taking the historical legacy of the field into account when considering my own nursing practices.  This has taught me that its not sufficient to blindly accept the social position of nurses today.  Instead, we must understand that our role has been created, shaped, and informed by the work done by previous generations of nurses.

McPherson’s text presents a comprehensive overview of the trends and issues that have shaped our modern conception of Canadian nursing.  After reading her book, I feel much more confident in my ability to detect and analyze trends in the field.  I am also better able now to recognize the ways in which modern nursing practices have been affected by the work done by previous generations of Canadian nurses.  I believe that in order to be a proactive force for change in my future nursing work, I must be aware of the trends shaping the field.  This text has given me a much broader understanding of the historical implications of Canadian nursing which will, in turn, enable me to recognize trends and important issues and apply them to my own work.

I believe that my responses to the chapters was fairly detailed, enabling my classmates to expand their own understanding of McPherson’s book.  I tried to provide concrete examples that reflected my own experience of each chapter in the hopes that it might stimulate greater thought and discussion amongst my peers.  I also found that the act of responding to questions about each chapter allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of McPherson’s work, especially because it forced me to consider how the various issues related to my own nursing practices and education.  In retrospect, however, I would have liked to have provided even more in-depth responses to the chapters, perhaps providing more specific examples of my own nursing experiences in relation to the specific topics discussed in each chapter.

References

McPherson, K. (2003). Bedside matters:  The transformation of Canadian nursing, 1900-1990. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press