The nursing shortage crisis: a familiar problem dressed in new clothes: Part I Available to Purchase

This is the first part of a two‐part paper examining the problem of nursing shortages in the health profession in Canada. It draws on the problem from a historical and sociological perspective, with personal interviews, and historical data, to demonstrate the author’s theory that nursing shortages are nothing new. They are systemic in nature resulting from fundamental problems in the profession itself. Traditional solutions such as bringing in cheaper labour have exacerbated the problems, serving to perpetuate the commonly held view of nursing as an extension of women’s work in the home. Poor working conditions, ongoing power struggles with administrators and the medical establishment, and a handmaiden image have all served to create an ongoing cultural environment of powerlessness which the nursing profession has been unable to transcend, and serves as a deterrent to successful professional leadership and ongoing recruitment.