An exciting new venture in nursing history
Professor Christine Hallett, Professor of Nursing History, Manchester University, reports on the work of the European Association for the History of Nursing
On 18 March a group of representatives from six countries met at the Deaconess Institute, Copenhagen, to begin the process of forming a European Association for the History of Nursing (EAHN).
Britain was represented by Professor Christine Hallett, from the University of Manchester and UK Centre for the History of Nursing and Midwifery, and Dr Sue Hawkins, the University of Kingston.
There were also representatives from Denmark, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. Interest has also been expressed by individuals in Greece, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain.
The mission of the EAHN is to promote the development and advancement of nursing history.
It will be achieved through scholarly work and public outreach. EAHN will bring individuals and associations together to provide mutual support and opportunities for collaboration.
- It will have a federal structure
- Constituent member associations will be autonomous and self-governing
- A constituent association may be administered through an academic centre, a scholarly society or an interest group
- Each constituent association will be eligible to send at least one member to a European Co-ordinating Committee
- The membership will comprise individuals who are members of constituent associations
- The membership is intended to be inclusive
- Members may be nurses or from other disciplines, and may or may not hold an appointment in a recognised academic institution
- An individual from any part of the world may join any of the constituent associations, and thereby become a member of EAHN
- The EAHN will provide a means for networking and collaboration between constituent associations
- The language in which activities will be conducted will be English
- Each constituent association will have its own bulletin, and will contribute material to a central European Bulletin.
- The EAHN will aim to hold a significant scholarly meeting (a conference or workshop) in Europe at least once every two years.