Uddannelse af sygeplejersker set i et historisk perspektiv

This article is based upon a qualitative suvery of the three-year nurse training wich was introduced and developed by inspector and principal Cornelia Petersen /1879-1955) from 1919-1947 at Aarhus Kommunehospital. The thesis is limited to an investigation how Cornelia Petersen (1879-1955) worked on improving the contents and conditions of the nurses’ education locally during the period 1919-1947 at Aarhus Kommunehospital. The empirical investigation material constitutes partly concrete partly normative sources, including interviews of pervious students, textbooks, notes from the education and rather comprehensive archive material.
The thesis conludes that during the 28 years that have been examined, the profession underwent many alterations. From beginning charactherized by fortuitousness with only little theoretical education to ending with monthly courses and the fist steps towards the establishing of a proper nurses school. The practical part of the education did not develop quite as distinctly. In the field the value of the manpower/labour continued to guide the admission of students.
In the long-term planning it is recommended that the present performers of the profession relate to history and take a position on what should characterize the qualifications and roles of nurses in the future, where centres of knowledge could be on of several possibilities.