Dorothea Dix. An inspirational crusader for political reform and provision of mental health care services
Donnelly, P.; Dix, D.
International History of Nursing Journal Ihnj 6(2): 87-89
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 1360-1105 PMID: 12143450 Document Number: 527747
Traditionally nursing history, that is nurses' collective memory, unique skills and collective experiences, was passed down in a fragmented way throughout training and career. Now nurses are beginning to recognise how vital the study of nursing history is, not only as a tool of unification, but also as a source of pride. Nurses as individuals need to expand their breadth of nursing history knowledge in order to achieve a conscious identity for nursing in the future, not least politically where the future absolutely depends on a sense of collective achievement in the past. The life and works of Dorothea Linde Dix provide a foundation in the political history of nursing and an inspiration for its future.