Dame Agnes Hunt: pioneer of orthopaedic nursing.

As a young surgeon in the early 1950s, I trained in various orthopaedic units. Much of the work was concerned with children and young adults suffering from two devastating diseases: tuberculosis and poliomyelitis. These were to vanish almost entirely from our hospitals soon afterwards, thanks to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), antibiotics and the polio vaccines. However, the dedicated nursing that long term orthopaedic patients of today still require--those with congenital deformities, spinal injuries, multiple traumas and so on--owes much to the teaching of Agnes Hunt, pioneer of orthopaedic care.

The evolution of orthopaedic nursing at the Hospital for Special Surgery: the first orthopaedic institution in the United States.

The history of nursing began in London in the late 1800s with the reform of unsanitary conditions by Florence Nightingale. During the same period, the United States was bitterly fighting the Civil War. Nursing had not developed as a profession, and most of the duties performed by nurses were conducted by men. Casualties of war required rehabilitation and care. Crippled children were left to die because they were considered a burden to society. Dr. James Knight founded the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled in his home on Second Avenue. This would later become a world-renowned orthopaedic institution with exceptional nursing care. A historical analysis of nursing education and practice are reviewed, along with the evolution of the first orthopaedic hospital in the United States.

Fifty years of oral orthopaedic history. Welsh voices.

It is important that nurses reflect upon and understand the past, learn the lessons this experience teaches, and apply the knowledge to the nursing practice of today. As stated by Hezel and Linebach (1991) cited in Kirby (1998), the future of nursing may well depend on the study of its history. Nurses must be able to recognise how nursing's past can contribute to the present, and can provide nurses with informed arguments to use in the making of future practice decisions. Nurses have learned that just because a particular type of care was undertaken in the past, ritual care, Walsh (1994) it is not necessarily correct for today's evidence or outcome-based care.

From open air to high tech care: orthopaedic nursing at Oswestry, 1921-2000.

A previous article in the September/October 2000 issue of Orthopaedic Nursing outlined the early career of Agnes Hunt, the opening of the Baschurch Home on October 1, 1900, and its evolution into an orthopaedic hospital. This article describes the development of the hospital on its new site near Oswestry, from 1921 to the present day. It describes the further development of orthopaedic nursing and orthopaedics through the war years and up to the present day.

Daughter of Charity.

Members of religious orders, male and female, take the three vows of religion--poverty, chastity and obedience. To renounce one's rights to personal possessions, to sexual experience and family life and in determining one's own future may, on initial examination, appear somewhat negative. However, priests, brothers and nuns in religious orders, are encouraged to adopt a more positive attitude in taking the vows. By relinquishing their rights to personal property and to procreate, and by accepting God's will in the expressed desires of their religious superiors, they can be released from the responsibilities inherent in these areas of human activity and, provided there is a spirit of generosity, achieve a degree of freedom which would not be otherwise possible. For instance, if, at the request of her religious superior, a Sister is sent from one area of the country to another, she can do so immediately. There is no house to sell, no family members to consider and no concerns about whether it is the right place for her to be. This, in turn, leaves her free to undertake the work or activity for which she was sent, without guilt feelings for those left behind and for what might have been.

NAON: the second decade. A leader among specialty nursing organizations.

The new millennium coincides with the 20th Anniversary of NAON, and provides an occasion to look back and reflect on our past. The first decade of NAON was well described by Mary Rodts in her 1990 article in Orthopaedic Nursing, "NAON: The First Decade, A Firm Foundation for a Successful Future" (Orthopaedic Nursing 9(3), 15-26). This article is an attempt to look at the highlights of the second decade of NAON, 1990-2000.

From crippledom to orthopaedic nursing: Pyrford 1908-1945.

This study is based on the records of the institution which finally became known as the Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital, Pyrford, Surrey. The hospital began as a home for crippled children run by a Church of England charity called the Waifs and Strays' Society. The arrival of a leading practitioner of the new discipline of orthopaedic surgery resulted in the transition from a social model of care to a medical one. One part of this process was the redefining of the role of most of the nurses as the recipients of nursing education, with a view to making orthopaedic nursing more attractive as an occupation. However, this educational strategy resulted in a progressive lowering of the entry age and the recruitment of large numbers of probationers who failed to complete the course.

Historical perspectives on orthopaedic nursing research in Orthopaedic Nursing from 1982 to 1995.

PURPOSE: To describe a systematic review of research studies published from 1982 through 1995 in Orthopaedic Nursing since its first issue in 1982. DESIGN: A descriptive design was used to systematically examine and classify the research studies published in Orthopaedic Nursing. SAMPLE: Forty-nine research studies made up the sample. METHOD: A descriptive historical research method was used to categorize the studies according to (1) topic, (2) research design, (3) sampling method, (4) sample size, (5) educational preparation of the author(s), and (6) funding status of the study. MAIN RESEARCH CLASSIFICATION: Nursing research Orthopaedic Nursing. FINDINGS: The number of research studies published in Orthopaedic Nursing was higher from 1990 to 1995. Most studies consisted of adult clients in acute care settings. There was increased attention to nursing interventions, psychosocial needs, and professional development (1990 to 1995). Pain was the most frequently addressed topic. Nonexperimental descriptive and retrospective designs were used most frequently. Nonprobability sampling was more common. Numbers of studies acknowledging funding increased from one study (1982 to 1989), to 10 studies (1990 to 1995). CONCLUSION: Overall, the number of research studies published in Orthopaedic Nursing has increased over the years and the studies have become more sophisticated. The clinical setting provides a wealth of topics for studies on nursing interventions and outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING RESEARCH: The final step of the research process, dissemination of research findings is integral to the success of the research process. As nursing continues to grow as a profession, the dissemination of research findings to the practicing clinician provides research-based information that can guide and improve clinical practice on a day-to-day basis. Nurses need to take advantage of the opportunities for conducting and using research.