I doubt there is a nurse in Britain and in many countries beyond, in practice or retired, who has not at some point in their career use the Roper Logan and Tierney ‘model of nursing based on the activities of living’. 

In addition to her collaboration in this now famous nursing model, Winfred Watson Logan Gordon, known always as Win Logan, had a rich and varied career which was nevertheless always clearly focused on nurses and their practice. 

Win Logan was born in Edinburgh on 11 April 1926, although she travelled widely, much of her early career was close to home. At the time there was no degree route to nursing in Britain, so Win graduated with an MA at Edinburgh University before nurse training at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, gaining her registration in 1951. She then worked as a thoracic nurse in Scotland and Canada, in posts where she developed a particular interest in the social and cultural aspects of nursing.

Returning to Edinburgh, she turned her focus to teaching and undertook the Diploma in Nurse Education at the newly established Department of Nursing Studies, University of Edinburgh. Her clear abilities as an educator and scholar led to a teaching post before being offered a World Health Organisation Fellowship to take a degree in education administration at Columbia University, New York. On return to her post, she put all she had learned to use as course organiser for the first UK degree programme in which nursing was recognised as a graduating subject, indeed, it was the first in Europe.

After several years in post consolidating her experience, Win Logan was granted one-year leave of absence to become Director of Nursing Services in the newly created Ministry of Health in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Having added international experience to her already impressive profile, in 1974, she was appointed the first Nursing Officer for Education at the Scottish Office, and in 1978 she went to Geneva as Executive Director of the International Council of Nurses. Her final post, before retirement in 1986, was as the first Head of Department at the recently-created Department of Health and Nursing at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Despite this impressive achievement, it is not the main reason Win Logan is remembered. Throughout her studies she was exposed to the many North American models of nursing and in the 1970s, in collaboration with Nancy Roper and Alison Tierney, they researched nursing practice in Britain, aiming to identify a British model. They co-authored four text books explaining and developing their model. The first, in 1980 was 'The Elements of Nursing: A model of nursing based on a model of living’ which was translated into thirteen other languages. The final version ‘The Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing: Based on Activities of Living’ was coauthored with Alison Tierney in 2000.

Additionally, she wrote many scholarly articles, served on several national and international academic and nursing committees and lectured in many countries. At various times during her career, she was invited to be a WHO Temporary Consultant for example in Malaysia, Iraq and in Europe; and she also went to India on behalf of the UK Overseas Development Agency.

In recognition of her contribution to the nursing profession, nationally and internationally, she received honorary degrees from the University of Surrey and Glasgow Caledonian University and was made an Honorary Fellow of her alma mater, the University of Edinburgh.

Despite her busy career, she found time for voluntary work with the Samaritans and from 1967-70 she was County Nursing Officer British Red Cross Society (Scottish Branch). After retirement, Win married widower Dr William J. Gordon, enjoying many happy years until his death in 2009. Right into her nineties she continued to have a keen interest in nursing and in current affairs, volunteering with Alzheimer Scotland and with Carers Link.

Nursing theories were a new phenomena when I first became a nurse educator in the early 1980s. The concept of the activities of living became the bedrock underlying the structure and organisation of nursing education and practice and has been researched, challenged and updated since. A quarter of a century after its last publication the Roper Logan and Tierney model is still going strong: a fitting tribute to its authors and the legacy of their ground breaking research.

Win Logan died on 2 April 2025.

For further information, visit Logan Gordon; Winifred (1926-2025); nurse educator.