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Virtual Speaker SeriesJoin us for the AAHN Virtual Speaker Series! This exciting series features monthly nursing history research talks from January to May and September to December. Free for AAHN members; $30 for non-members. October Virtual Speaker Series Date: October 3, 2025 Brief Abstract: Racial discrimination in colonial healthcare services in Africa and its consequent creation of class distinctions among European and African staff is documented yet overly focused on the medical profession. In the Gold Coast (now Ghana), racial discrimination within the nursing service is poorly understood and sparsely documented. Race and inequity in nursing and how local nurses responded are rarely openly considered in the Ghanaian historiography. In what ways do the professional lives of African nurses tell us about racism and inequity within the Gold Coast health service and the local responses to discriminatory practices? This talk examine the work and experience of an African nurse, Ethel F. Roberts to demonstrate the racial and discriminatory aspects of nursing in the Gold Coast within a transnational framework. Trained as a nurse in the Gold Coast, Ethel F. Roberts moved to the United Kingdom (UK) for further studies in the 1940s. After training in the UK, Roberts applied for posting to the Gold Coast to work as a Nursing Sister, but she faced obstacles, partly due to racial discrimination. Roberts’ experience embodies one of the multiple and complex developments that defined racial discrimination in the nursing profession. Using a biographical approach, I draw on private letters, application forms, recommendation and appointment letters, and government records to argue that African nurses did not succumb to discrimination within the profession but contested existing colonial structures leading to health labour reforms in the twentieth century. Roberts’ story unravels key events in the development of nursing in the Gold Coast, focusing on negotiations and contestations surrounding racial discrimination, professional advancement and policy directives. Examining Robert’s career trajectory framed within a transnational context provides fresh insights on race and nursing in the Gold Coast. Register Here
November Virtual Speaker Series Date: November 7, 2025 Brief Abstract: The Nurses of Ellis Island: Life and Work inside the Golden Door tells the story of the U.S. Public Health Service nurses who cared for more than 150,000 immigrants hospitalized on Ellis Island during the first half of the twentieth century. In the modern hospital complex built between the Main Immigration Building and the Statue of Liberty, these nurses confronted every imaginable illness and injury, caring for vulnerable patients in a challenging environment. They served simultaneously as compassionate caregivers and agents of the state, negotiating their responsibilities in the midst of two world wars, a global pandemic, and increasingly restrictive immigration laws. This presentation examines both the historical findings and the process behind reconstructing this story. The research drew upon memoirs, government records, and archival materials that gave voice to the Ellis Island nurses, as well as multiple site visits that allowed the authors to immerse themselves in the physical spaces where the nurses lived and worked. The book also reflects a deliberate choice to write in a more narrative and accessible style, one that remains grounded in rigor and historical accuracy but crafted to engage readers beyond academic audiences. By illuminating the lived experience of nursing at the intersection of immigration and public health policy, and by reflecting on the methodological decisions that shaped the project, this presentation underscores both the need and the value of bringing nursing history to life, as well as the importance of presenting it in ways that resonate widely. Register HereFebruary Virtual Speaker Series Date: February 6, 2026 Brief Abstract: Missed one of our Virtual Speaker Series sessions? Not a member but interested in viewing a session? Fill out our form and let us know which one you'd like to access. Recordings are $15 each for non-members. Please note that it may take up to 72 hours to receive your recording link. September Virtual Speaker Series Title: Nursing the Metropolis: the female ward staff of St Bartholomew's hospital in London, 1660-1820 Brief Abstract:The history of nursing in London before the early nineteenth century used to occasion sweeping generalisations about the flaws of pre-reform nurses (if it attracted any comment at all). In contrast this investigation of the St Bartholomew's Hospital archives showcases the experiences of over 600 women who worked at Barts 1660-1820. Tracing their individual histories, both in the hospital and where possible outside it, provides illustrations of nurses' biographies, the work culture they found at the hospital, and their relationships with one another. This talk draws on material contained in chapter two of my recent book Nursing the English from Plague to Peterloo. The Nurses of Ellis Island: Life and Work inside the Golden Door tells the story of the U.S. Public Health Service nurses who cared for more than 150,000 immigrants hospitalized on Ellis Island during the first half of the twentieth century. In the modern hospital complex built between the Main Immigration Building and the Statue of Liberty, these nurses confronted every imaginable illness and injury, caring for vulnerable patients in a challenging environment. They served simultaneously as compassionate caregivers and agents of the state, negotiating their responsibilities in the midst of two world wars, a global pandemic, and increasingly restrictive immigration laws. This presentation examines both the historical findings and the process behind reconstructing this story. The research drew upon memoirs, government records, and archival materials that gave voice to the Ellis Island nurses, as well as multiple site visits that allowed the authors to immerse themselves in the physical spaces where the nurses lived and worked. The book also reflects a deliberate choice to write in a more narrative and accessible style, one that remains grounded in rigor and historical accuracy but crafted to engage readers beyond academic audiences. By illuminating the lived experience of nursing at the intersection of immigration and public health policy, and by reflecting on the methodological decisions that shaped the project, this presentation underscores both the need and the value of bringing nursing history to life, as well as the importance of presenting it in ways that resonate widely. |