Façade of success: Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum 1865-1969

This thesis explores the beginning years of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, Queensland, 1865-1869. It examines what it was like for the people who lived and worked in this institution and the trajectory of the Asylum. During the period 1865 to 1869, the Asylum was subjected to four public Inquiries and these Inquiries provide the structure for this thesis and the lens through which the Asylum is explored. By examining a short period of time, this thesis captures the interaction between social, political and economic factors that characterised this period of colonial Queensland history and demonstrates their influence on the Asylum. While situating the Asylum within this broad frame, other more specific influences are also apparent and include particular personalities and the press, which had an impact on the trajectory of the Asylum, and the experiences of the patients and staff. This thesis demonstrates that patient experiences at the Asylum were largely negative and the Asylum from its inception was unsuitable, and further, its conditions would continue to deteriorate as the Government neglected its needs. Finally, this thesis concludes that the trajectory of the Asylum’s first five years was a consequence of a complex interplay between broad socio-political and economic factors as well as more specific influences of particular personalities and the press, all interacting with the many institutional layers of a new asylum staffed by inexperienced people

Historical and contemporary nursing practice

"Contemporary nursing is very different from nursing as it was practised years ago, and we can expect it to continue changing during the twenty-first century. To comprehend present-day nursing and at the same time prepare for the future, one must understand not only past events but also contemporary nursing practice and the sociological and historical factors that affect it."--p. 3

Façade of success: Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum 1865-1969

This thesis explores the beginning years of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, Queensland, 1865-1869. It examines what it was like for the people who lived and worked in this institution and the trajectory of the Asylum. During the period 1865 to 1869, the Asylum was subjected to four public Inquiries and these Inquiries provide the structure for this thesis and the lens through which the Asylum is explored. By examining a short period of time, this thesis captures the interaction between social, political and economic factors that characterised this period of colonial Queensland history and demonstrates their influence on the Asylum. While situating the Asylum within this broad frame, other more specific influences are also apparent and include particular personalities and the press, which had an impact on the trajectory of the Asylum, and the experiences of the patients and staff. This thesis demonstrates that patient experiences at the Asylum were largely negative and the Asylum from its inception was unsuitable, and further, its conditions would continue to deteriorate as the Government neglected its needs. Finally, this thesis concludes that the trajectory of the Asylum’s first five years was a consequence of a complex interplay between broad socio-political and economic factors as well as more specific influences of particular personalities and the press, all interacting with the many institutional layers of a new asylum staffed by inexperienced people

What were the nursing practices of mental health nurses in mental institutions 1800 to 1960: A scoping review

This scoping literature review describes the practices of nurses working in mental asylums between 1800 and 1960 prior to the introduction of psychotropic drugs. Studies published in English from 1976 to 2021 from CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest, PsyINFO, MEDLINE and Google were searched in August 2021. Twenty-three papers were retrieved with three distinct periods identified that shaped nursing practice. These were custodial care, moral and somatic treatment. Shifts in nursing practice were shaped by the desire of psychiatry to be recognised as a medical speciality, the feminisation of nursing and the formal development of nurse training in general hospitals

Gender and domesticity in Woogaroo Asylum 1865-1869

On January 10th 1865, 57 male and 12 female lunatics were transported from the Brisbane jail by steamer to the first Asylum in Queensland at Woogaroo. The five male and two female prison warders accompanying them were the first attendants and nurses at this institution. From their beginnings these early attendants and nurses atempted to fulfil a role that was often intangible in nature and shaped by the gendered expectations of Victorian society and the demands of living and working in an institution. The experiences of the patients they cared for were similarly influenced by a society whose ideal lay in the patriarchal Vicotrian family. This chapter presents the stories of two patients from the 1860s. Isabella Lewin and Catherine Althers' stories allow an exploration of the way in which gender was central to the physical and social organisation of this asylum, the definition of female patients and staff roles and patient care

Boundaries and barriers : a history of district nursing management in regional Queensland

Aim To explore administrative constraints of district nursing during the latter part of the twentieth century in regional Queensland, Australia. Background A greater understanding of the evolution of district nursing can illuminate why present conditions and circumstances exist. Method Thirteen interviews undertaken and analysed historically in association with other documentary evidence from the time period 1960s – 1990. Findings District nursing services of regional Queensland were initially established by voluntary organisations that had very lean budgets. Throughout the study period, government funding became increasingly available, but this coincided with increased regulation of the services. Conclusions District nurses have worked within considerable boundaries and barriers associated with either a lack of funds or imposed regulations. While greater government funding solved some working conditions, it did so by imposing greater administrative responsibilities on the nurses and services that were not always seen as advantageous for clients or as professionally satisfying for the nurses

Benefits of an online discussion list in a traditional distance education course

With a changing composition of the student population in higher education, there is a greater push for flexible delivery of courses. The student role is often a secondary one, with many students engaged in full time primary tasks associated with their career or family. The ability of these students to have contact with other students and their lecturer without spending inconvenient and large amounts time on campus is a now a common feature that motivates their choice of course and institution. Distance education, in being both time and place independent, is an attractive study option for these students who cannot commit to the role of the traditional internal student because of life circumstances. In order to meet learning outcomes, educators may need to be flexible in their choice of teaching tools in distance education delivery. This paper outlines the challenges faced in teaching a course on recreational drug use and abuse via distance education. Initially using traditional print based educational materials, the lecturer had difficulty offering students the opportunity to challenge negative stereotypes and assumptions relating to drug use This paper chronicles the introduction and evaluation of an asynchronous discussion list based on the constructivist model of learning

Taking the discourse of the 'worried well' seriously

It is commonly accepted in Australia that general practitioners (G.P.'s) are the initial point of contact when individuals perceive ill health. A significant portion of such clients presenting to the G.P. fall into the category of what many people have deemed the "worried well". Drawing upon discourse analysis, this paper seeks to deconstruct the underlying assumptions pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of this population. The impetus for nurses to be agents of change in the construction of discourses surrounding the "worried well" is recognised

Plugging the gaps : a history of domicilliary nursing

Domicilliary nurses play an important role in assisting clients to remain within their homes and communities. Yet, the past work of these nurses has not been well documented in the nursing literature. This paper outlines an oral history project of former domicilliary nurses from regional Queensland. These nurses worked during a time of great expansion within community-based nursing and provide insight into domicilliary nursing as it occured in the latter years of the 20th century. Overwhelmingly, the nurses demonstrated, through their stories, the skills, personal traits and adaptability required to nurse within the client's home

Nursing education : generic attributes vs. cultural traditions

The nursing culture is traditionallyembedded with rites of passage such as being able to demonstrate critical skills seen to be important to the profession and popularised by the media. These traditions have been translated into nursing education in universities where students learn - some educators still teach - specific nusrsing skills that symbolise the stereotypiycal nurse; this being done in isolation from other forms of scholarship. At times this confronts the core beliefs underpinning nursing culture where milestones in becoming a nurse are seen to be achieving skills such as 'giving your first injection', being able to"take blood' and most importantly being 'given the keys to the drug cupboard'! The national agenda being developed between employer bodies and higher education is driving the generic- attributes debate. There is a call for the development of generic attributes to be identified and embedded in curricula rather than the more traditional, narrow, skill-development training. This paper will discuss the tension between the two poles of educational ethos, the traditional skill-based program verses a model of workplace learning that embraces generic attributes. It will be agrued that in order to build appropriate learning communities for nurse education, nursing programs need to challenge the fundamental belief systems that underpinthe hegemony within curricula, and explore the means of moving forward without compromising the essence of nursing