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73-642: Matron is the job title of a very senior or the chief nurse in several countries, including the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries and former colonies. The chief nurse, in other words the person in charge of nursing in a hospital and the head of the nursing staff, is also known as the Chief Nursing officer or Chief Nursing Executive , senior nursing officer , matron , nursing officer , or clinical nurse manager in UK English;

146-452: A bed. They often delegate such care to nursing assistants . Medication management and administration are common hospital nursing roles, although prescribing authority varies across jurisdictions. In many areas, RNs administer and manage medications prescribed by others. Nurses are responsible for evaluating patients throughout their care – including before and after medication administration – adjustments to medications are often made through

219-545: A campaign to improve the prison nursing service. Much of this was whilst Maureen Fraser Gamble OBE was honorary secretary after she had retired as district nursing officer at the Hammersmith Hospital in 1980. When it closed, the Association remained a part-time organisation staffed by voluntary officers. These included: president Joan Clague; honorary secretary Maureen Fraser Gamble. The Presidents of

292-720: A collaborative effort between the prescriber and the nurse. Regardless of the prescriber, nurses are legally responsible for the drugs they administer. Legal implications may accompany an error in a prescription, and the nurse may be expected to note and report the error. In the United States, nurses have the right to refuse to administer medication that they deem to be potentially harmful. Some nurses take additional training that allows them to prescribe medications within their scope of practice. Effective patient/family education leads to better outcomes. Nurses explain procedure, recovery, and ongoing care, while helping everyone cope with

365-652: A few hundred municipal hospices to remain in operation in northern Europe. Nuns who had been serving as nurses were given pensions or told to marry and stay home. Nursing care went to the inexperienced as traditional caretakers, rooted in the Roman Catholic Church , were removed from their positions. The nursing profession in Europe was extinguished for approximately 200 years. During the Crimean War , Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna called for women to join

438-647: A half century, over 5,000 deaconesses had surfaced in Europe. Formal use of nurses in the military began in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Nurses saw active duty in the First Boer War , the Egyptian Campaign (1882), and the Sudan Campaign (1883). In the 19th and early 20th century, nursing was considered a woman's profession, just as doctoring was a profession for men. With increasing expectations of workplace equality during

511-446: A hospital may have many matrons—one for surgery , one for medicine , one for geriatrics , one for the emergency department, etc.) but do have budgetary control regarding catering and cleaning contracts. In larger hospitals some will have a group of wards to manage. Their managerial powers are more limited, and they spend most of their time on administrative work rather than having direct responsibility for patient care. Many areas of

584-581: A matron, working in partnership with principal administrative officer and senior doctors in the day to day administration of the hospital, and responsible for the nursing service, the training of nurses and some domestic services (although increasingly in the larger hospitals domestic services were largely the responsibility of the principal administrative officer)l. However, hospitals and the services they delivered were becoming more complex . The new NHS administratively grouped hospitals together (sometimes just two but many in to larger groups of up to 20) resulting in

657-578: A narrower scope of practice. Nursing is a female-dominated profession in many countries; according to the WHO's 2020 State of the World's Nursing, approximately 90% of the nursing workforce is female. For instance, the male-to-female ratio of nurses is approximately 1:19 in Canada and the United States. This ratio is matched in many other countries. Notable exceptions include Francophone Africa , which includes

730-474: A rival to the Matrons' Council for Great Britain and Ireland , an organisation founded in 1894 by Isla Stewart and Ethel Gordon Fenwick . By 1919 there was disaffection with Fenwick's approach so Rachael Cox-Davies and Alicia Lloyd Still invited some 50 matrons, resulting in a turn-out of 21 at the founding meeting of the Association at St Thomas’ Hospital on 15 April 1919. Most attendees were matrons from

803-655: A slight uplift in members when the Association merged with the Association of Chief Male Nurses . The Association was integral to nursing discussions on the 1982 restructuring of the NHS. It initiated the joint memoranda on management and budgeting issued jointly by the Royal College of Nursing , the Royal College of Midwives , the Health Visitors Association and the Association. It spearheaded

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876-787: A source of free/inexpensive labor. Exploitation of nurses was not uncommon by employers, physicians, and education providers. Many nurses saw active duty in the First World War , but the profession transformed again during the Second World War . British nurses of the Army Nursing Service were part of every overseas campaign. More nurses volunteered for service in the US Army and Navy than any other occupation. The Nazis had their own Brown Nurses, numbering 40,000. Two dozen German Red Cross nurses were awarded

949-412: A wide range of settings, including hospitals, private homes , schools , and pharmaceutical companies . Nurses work in occupational health settings (also called industrial health settings), free-standing clinics, physician offices, nurse-led clinics , long-term care facilities and camps. They work on cruise ships , military bases , and in combat settings. Nurses act as advisers and consultants to

1022-537: Is defined and governed by law, and entrance to the profession is regulated at the national or state level. The nursing community worldwide aims for professional nurses to ensure quality care, while maintaining their credentials, code of ethics , standards, and competencies, and continuing their education. Multiple educational paths lead to becoming a professional nurse; these vary by jurisdiction; all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice as well as training in clinical skills. Nurses provide care based on

1095-533: Is described in many sources as "the first visiting nurse". These traditions were influential in the development of the ethos of modern nursing. Its religious roots remain in evidence in many countries. One example in the United Kingdom is the use of the historical title "sister" to refer to a senior nurse. During the Reformation , Protestant reformers shut down monasteries and convents, allowing

1168-406: Is further complicated by the numerous interpretations of nursing's defining essence. During the 1980s there was an increased focus on research utilization (RU). Nursing research took an interest in clinical issues and US nursing schools began teaching research methods to facilitate interpretation and integration of scientific findings in routine practice. Several RU initiatives were active during

1241-406: Is selected based on the care setting and the population served. In providing nursing care, the nurse uses both nursing theory and best practice derived from nursing research . Many nursing theories are in use. Like other disciplines, the profession has developed multiple theories derived reflecting varying philosophical beliefs and paradigms or worldviews . In general terms, the nursing process

1314-753: Is the method used to assess and diagnose needs, plan outcomes and interventions, implement interventions, and evaluate outcomes. The nursing process as defined by the American Nurses Association comprises five steps: 1) evaluate, 2) implement, 3) plan, 4) diagnose, and 5) assess. Digital health platforms connect nurses and nurse assistants with job openings in healthcare facilities such as skilled nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospitals. Platforms offer an app to facilitate communication and allow nurses to find work opportunities based on their preferences. Healthcare partners and facilities benefit from access to qualified nurses. In 2017,

1387-408: Is the most diverse of all health care professions . Nurses practice in a wide range of settings, but generally follows the needs of their patients. The major specialties are: Nurses with additional degrees allow for specialization. Nursing professions can be separated into categories by care type, age, gender, certain age group, practice setting, individually or in combination. Nurses practice in

1460-410: Is the rank of the most senior nurse of a hospital. Long before women were commonly employed as fully sworn police officers, many police forces employed uniformed women with limited powers to search and attend to female prisoners and deal with matters specifically affecting women and children. These female officers were often known as "police matrons". Officers in women's prisons sometimes also used

1533-627: The CEO or COO . In the United States a matron is not a nurse, but a female assistant to males running a residential facility, like a camp, boarding school, or prison (see Other uses , below). The word "matron" is derived from the Latin for "mother", via French. The title of matron was first used in the 16th century in the United Kingdom (UK) for the housekeeper role in voluntary hospitals . The radical reforms of nursing promoted by Florence Nightingale argued not just that nurses should be trained but that

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1606-510: The Iron Cross for heroism under fire. The development of undergraduate and post-graduate nursing degrees came after the war. Nursing research and a desire for association and organization led to the formation of professional organizations and academic journals . Nursing became recognized as a distinct academic discipline, initially tasked to define the theoretical basis for practice. Nurses are perceived to be in short supply around

1679-418: The first schools of nursing to be connected to a hospital and medical school. It spread widely in Europe and North America after 1870. Nightingale included five factors that helped nurses in her time who worked amidst poor sanitation and little education. These factors included fresh air, clean water, a working drainage system, cleanliness, and good light. Nightingale believed that a clean working environment

1752-601: The head nurse or director of nursing in US English, and the nursing superintendent or matron in Indian English , among other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations . In England, matrons today "have powers over budgets, catering and cleaning as well as being in charge of nurses and doctors" and "have the powers to withhold payments from catering and cleaning services if they don't think they are giving

1825-558: The 19th century in the Crimea, Central America, and Jamaica. Her predecessors had great success as healers in the Colony of Jamaica in the 18th century, and they included Seacole's mother (Mrs. Grant), Sarah Adams, Cubah Cornwallis , and Grace Donne, the mistress and doctress to Jamaica's wealthiest planter, Simon Taylor . Other important nurses in the development of the profession include: Red Cross chapters, which began appearing after

1898-510: The ANA. The Association was a network of local branches with a central executive committee which met monthly in London. "Its aim was to consider professional matters and provide a forum where proposed legislative changes affecting the nursing profession could be considered and commented upon" - E Scott. The Scottish Association of Nurse Administrators also run by honorary officers, began in 1911 as

1971-550: The Association alongside their pre-existing membership of the National Association of Workhouse Masters and Matrons which was formed in 1897 and was renamed as the National Association of Masters and Matrons of Poor Law Institutions c.1915. This remained in existence as the Association of Health and Residential Care Officers, until it dissolved in 1984 for reasons similar to those that put an end to

2044-574: The Committee on Senior Nursing Structure (known as the Salmon Report) was published in 1966 and proposed a new structure for NHS nurse managers which replaced the title matron and chief male nurse with 'chief nursing officer' and created a template job description and pay grade to be used by every NHS organization. The report's main recommendations on the structure of nursing administration, the change of name from matron to chief nursing officer,

2117-630: The Department of Health until 1943, and the ordinance that required their hiring and selection was formally repealed by the city in 1995. Nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alleviation of suffering through compassionate presence". Nurses practice in many specialties with varying levels of certification and responsibility. Nurses comprise

2190-475: The London teaching hospitals, with representatives from the Royal College of Nursing (Miss Rundle) and the War Office (Miss Riddel for the matrons-in-chief of defence). The founding resolution set it out as an Association ' of trained nurses who hold or have held the position of matron or superintendent of hospitals or institutions concerned in the training of nurses and the care of the sick ’. April 1919

2263-475: The NHS job title lexicon. Hospital matrons promoted nurses and nursing through the media of radio, newspapers and books e.g. Gwendoline Kirby , matron of Great Ormond Street Hospital, London was a guest on Desert island Discs , Muriel Powell, matron of St George's Hospital London featured in the Star London newspaper in 1958 and spoke regularly on BBC radio and television programmes. The hospital matron

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2336-513: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are male. The number of male nurses in the United States doubled between 1980 and 2000. On average, male nurses in the US receive more pay than female nurses. Nursing practice is the actual provision of nursing care. In providing care, nurses implement a nursing care plan defined using the nursing process . This is based around a specific nursing theory that

2409-743: The Order of Exaltation of the Cross ( Krestodvizhenskaya Obshchina ) for a year of service in military hospitals. The first section of twenty-eight "sisters", headed by Aleksandra Petrovna Stakhovich, the Directress of the Order, reached Crimea early in November 1854. Florence Nightingale laid the foundations of professional nursing after the Crimean War , in light of a comprehensive statistical study she made of sanitation in India, leading her to emphasize

2482-563: The Scottish Matrons’ Association, and provided professional advice to its members. It held its final annual conference in April 1987, before closing after a 76-year history. The Royal Society of Health provided office space to the Association of Nurse Administrators almost to the end of its existence. The 1966 Salmon Report replaced the matrons of smaller hospitals with senior nursing officers and nursing officers, reducing

2555-548: The UK from the late-nineteenth century until the 1990s. They acted to same way with the students as they did with nurses with one exception, they had to assign chores to students by the Headteacher when they misbehaved as a punishment such as doing the laundry, cleaning brass work or cleaning the floor. The matron also checked that all students were dressed in the way the uniform policy stated as well as having them make their beds in

2628-546: The UK now employ Community Matrons. The role of this staff group is predominantly clinical and these matrons have a caseload of patients for whom they are clinically responsible. Many of these patients have chronic health conditions such as COPD, Emphysema, and/or palliative conditions which result in multiple hospital admissions. It is the aim of this staff group to treat the patient within the community thereby limiting hospital admissions. This staff group are predominantly nurses, but there are other allied health professionals also in

2701-472: The UK's National Health Service began trialing such a platform. Platforms such as United States –based ConnectRN, Nomad Health, Gale Healthcare solutions or Lantum add resources, career development tools, and networking opportunities. Florence Nightingale's seminal epidemiological study examining mortality among British soldiers during the Crimean War was published in 1858. With the exception of her works, nursing practice remained an oral tradition until

2774-547: The best service to the NHS ." Historically, matrons supervised the hospital as a whole but today, they are in charge of supervising two or three wards . The chief nurse is a registered nurse who supervises the care of all the patients at a health care facility. The chief nurse is the senior nursing management position in an organization and often holds executive titles like chief nursing officer ( CNO ), chief nurse executive , or vice-president of nursing . They typically report to

2847-634: The body as mentioned before including the skin, cannot be correctly described by one who is not well versed in anatomy. Hence, anyone desirous of acquiring a thorough knowledge of anatomy should prepare a dead body and carefully, observe, by dissecting it, and examining its different parts." In the Middle Ages , members of religious orders such as nuns and monks often provided nursing-like care. Examples exist in Christian , Islamic , Buddhist , and other traditions. The biblical figure of Phoebe

2920-503: The countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire , the Democratic Republic of Congo , Djibouti , Guinea , Gabon , Mali , Mauritania , Niger , Rwanda , Senegal , and Togo , which all have more male than female nurses. In Europe, in countries such as Spain , Portugal , Czech Republic and Italy , over 20% of nurses are male. In the United Kingdom, 11% of nurses and midwives registered with

2993-719: The establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863, offered employment and professionalization opportunities for nurses (despite Nightingale's initial objections). Catholic orders such as Little Sisters of the Poor , Sisters of Mercy , Sisters of St. Mary , St. Francis Health Services, Inc. and Sisters of Charity built hospitals and provided nursing services during this period. The modern deaconess movement began in Germany in 1836. Within

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3066-507: The following definitions: Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well, and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles. The use of clinical judgment in

3139-567: The founding of the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993. The emerging area of evidence-based medicine also applies to nursing. Common barriers to the study and integration of research findings into clinical decision making include: a lack of opportunity, inexperience, and the rapid pace of evidence accumulation. Nurses manage and coordinate care to support activities of daily living (ADL). This includes assisting in patient mobility, such as moving an activity intolerant patient within

3212-534: The governing body of Westminster Hospital . The appointed members included notable matrons and chief male nurses: Miss M B Powell CBE (matron St. George's Hospital , London); Miss J T Locke OBE (matron the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow); Miss E. M. Rees,(matron Cardiff Royal Infirmary , Cardiff); Miss G. M. Westbrook,(matron Southmead Hospital , Bristol); J. Greene, Esq., (Chief Male Nurse, Moorhaven Hospital , Ivybridge, South Devon). The Report of

3285-420: The health care and insurance industries. Many nurses also work in health advocacy and patient advocacy , helping in clinical and administrative domains. Some are attorneys and others work with attorneys as legal nurse consultants , reviewing patient records to assure that adequate care was provided and testifying in court. Association of Hospital Matrons The Association of Hospital Matrons began as

3358-400: The hospital nursing staff and their training should come under the control of one senior nurse – the matron. Across the UK the pattern emerged in the late nineteenth and early 20th century in many hospitals, that the matron was the head of: the nursing service; the nurse training; and the hospital housekeeping and lived in the hospital. In some hospitals the matron was responsible directly to

3431-466: The importance of sanitation. "After 10 years of sanitary reform, in 1873, Nightingale reported that mortality among the soldiers in India had declined from 69 to 18 per 1,000". Nightingale believed that nursing was a social freedom and mission for women. She believed that any educated woman could help improve the care of the ill. Her Notes on Nursing (1859) was a popular call to action. The Nightingale model of nursing education led to one of

3504-435: The individual's physical, emotional, psychological, intellectual, social, and spiritual needs. The profession combines physical science, social science, nursing theory, and technology. Nurses typically hold one or more formal credentials. Roles and responsibilities follow the level of education. For example, in the United States, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) have less education than Registered Nurses (RN) and accordingly,

3577-467: The institution's Board of Governors but in others the matron might report to a senior physician or surgeon. Matrons during this period were female. They were often seen as fearsome administrators, but were respected by nurses and doctors alike. The Nightingale model of matron was taken to other countries in the British Empire . Many matrons were active leaders in organizations advocating for

3650-702: The largest component of most healthcare environments. There are shortages of qualified nurses in many countries. Nurses develop a plan of care, working collaboratively with physicians , therapists , patients, patients' families, and other team members that focuses on treating illness to improve quality of life. In the United Kingdom and the United States, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners diagnose health problems and prescribe medications and other therapies, depending on regulations that vary by state. Nurses may help coordinate care performed by other providers or act independently as nursing professionals. In addition to providing care and support, nurses educate

3723-464: The late 20th century, but the RU movement was superseded by evidence-based practice in the 1990s. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is about using research, but unlike RU it allows for the integration of research findings with clinical expertise and patient preferences. The EBP movement had originated in the field of medicine with Archie Cochrane publishing Effectiveness and Efficiency in 1972, leading up to

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3796-412: The late 20th century, nursing became an officially gender-neutral profession, though in practice the percentage of male nurses remained well below that of female physicians in the 21st century. Hospital-based training became standard in the US in the early 1900s, with an emphasis on practical experience. The Nightingale-style school began to disappear. Hospitals and physicians saw women in nursing as

3869-461: The list. A 2023 American survey found that around 30% were considering leaving patient care. According to the traditional interpretation physicians are concerned with curing or treating medical conditions, while nurses focus on care. In healthcare settings this line is often blurred, complicating the task of distinguishing the professions. Although nursing practice varies both through its various specialties and countries, nursing organizations offer

3942-412: The majority of matrons having less contact and influence with the governing body. By the early sixties there were increasing disparities between hospitals in the types, titles, job descriptions and work undertaken by senior nurses, particularly between those with the title' matron'. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) published a review of the administrative arrangements for nursing in the NHS, arguing that

4015-526: The matron on the executive body of the group of hospitals Following extensive lobbying by the RCN and the Association of Hospital Matrons Enoch Powell MP, the Minister of Health (England and Wales) and Michael Noble , Secretary of State for Scotland, appointed a Committee 'to advise on the senior nursing structure in the hospital (ward sister and above) "p1. The Committee was chaired by Brian Salmon, member of

4088-409: The medical situation. Many times, nurses are busy, leaving little time to educate patients. Patients' families needs similar education. Educating both patient and their families increases the chance for a better outcome. Nurses have to communicate in a way that can be understood by patients. Education techniques encompass conversations, visuals, reading materials, and demonstrations. Nursing

4161-424: The mid-20th century. The inaugural issue of Nursing Research , the first scientific journal specialized in nursing, came in in 1952. During the 1960s, interest in attaining PhDs increased among nurses in the US, but nursing remained a fledgling area of research, with few journals until the 1970s. Nursing research is increasingly presented as a valid discipline, although lacking a prevailing definition. The question

4234-542: The number of people eligible for membership of the Association. At its meeting on 23 October 1971 the Association changed its name to become The Association of Nurse Administrators. In 1972 it merged with the Mental Hospital Matrons’ Association, the Association of Chief and Principal Nursing Officers (Mental Health Service) and the Association of Chief Nursing Officers (Public Health) which stabilised membership. The 1974 NHS reorganisation brought

4307-432: The nurse is to assist the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he would perform unaided if he had the necessary strength, will or knowledge. The practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and responsibilities as well as accountability mechanisms. In almost all countries, nursing practice

4380-515: The provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death. Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human responses; and advocacy in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations. The unique function of

4453-524: The public and promote health and wellness. In the U.S., nurse practitioners are nurses with a graduate degree in advanced practice nursing, and are permitted to prescribe medications. They practice independently in a variety of settings in more than half of the United States. In the postwar period, nurse education has diversified, awarding advanced and specialized credentials , and many traditional regulations and roles are changing. Nursing historians face challenges of determining whether care provided to

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4526-500: The role such as paramedics and occupational therapists. The nursing branches of the British Armed Forces have never abandoned the term "Matron", and it is used for male as well as female officers, usually holding the rank of major (or equivalent) or above. It was formerly used as an actual rank in the nursing services. In South Africa and its former mandated territory South-West Africa (today's Namibia ), Matron

4599-544: The same way as hospital beds. In 2001 the UK Government announced the return of the matron to NHS hospitals in England, electing to call this new breed of nurses "modern matrons," in response to various press complaints of dirty, ineffective hospitals with poorly disciplined staff. They are not intended to have the same level of responsibility as the old matrons, as they often oversee just one department (therefore

4672-552: The sick or injured in antiquity is called nursing care. In the fifth century BC, for example, the Hippocratic Collection in places described skilled care and observation of patients by male "attendants," who may have provided care now provided by nurses. Around 600 BC in India, it is recorded in Sushruta Samhita , Book 3, Chapter V about the role of the nurse as "the different parts or members of

4745-461: The simplified grading structure, and systematic preparation for management responsibility were accepted by the Minister of Health Kenneth Robinson and William Ross , Secretary of State for Scotland. Pilots of the new structures commenced in 1968 and in the same year the Department of Health & Social Security decided to implement the new structure nationally, removing the title 'matron' from

4818-427: The title of "matron"; sometimes the matron was a senior officer who supervised the other wardresses . Institutions such as children's homes and workhouses were also run by matrons. The matron of a workhouse was very often the wife of the master and looked after the domestic affairs of the establishment. This was, in fact, the original meaning of the term. Its use in hospitals was borrowed from workhouses. The term

4891-453: The traditional role of matron was outdated, untenable in the range of duties, inadequately remunerated and increasingly difficult to recruit to. The review also proposed new senior nursing administration structures for the NHS in which the title matron was changed to 'Hospital Nursing Officer' for an individual hospital and the title Chief Nursing Officer to the Board or Group Nursing Officer for

4964-704: The training and registration of nurses in Great Britain and Ireland :the British Nurses' Association (established 1887); The Hospitals Association registration committee (established 1887); The Matrons Council of Great Britain and Ireland (established 1894); and the College of Nurses Ltd (established 1916). With the advent of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, the new administrative arrangements resulted in every hospital having

5037-466: The world, particularly in South East Asia and Africa. A global survey by McKinsey & Company in 2022 found that between 28% and 38% of nurse respondents in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, and France said they were likely to leave their role in direct patient care in the next year. The top five factors which they said would make them stay were: Pay ranked eighth on

5110-603: Was also used in boarding schools (and is still used in some British independent schools ) for the woman in charge of domestic affairs in a boarding house or the school nurse. In the past, the matron was sometimes the wife of the housemaster . In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the female spouse of a temple president or his counselors is referred to as a temple matron . In New York City, movie theater matrons were employed beginning in 1936 to ensure that children would behave in theaters. They were licensed by

5183-685: Was caricatured in the Ealing Comedy Carry on series in Carry On Nurse in 1959 and Carry On Doctor in 1963 (and gentler portrayals in Carry On Again Doctor and Carry On Matron ) and played by Hattie Jacques . The matron usually had a very distinctive uniform, with a dark blue dress (although often of a slightly different colour from those worn by her direct subordinates, the sisters ) and an elaborate headdress. Matrons also worked in boarding schools in

5256-536: Was important in caring for patients. In the 19th century, this theory was ideal for helping patients, providing a guide for nurses to alter the environment around patients for the betterment of their health. Nightingale's recommendations built upon the successes of Jamaican "doctresses" such as Mary Seacole , who like Nightingale, served in the Crimean War. Seacole practised hygiene and the use of herbs in healing wounded soldiers and those suffering from diseases in

5329-743: Was in the midst of parliamentary discussions on the State Registration of nursing and the establishment of the General Nursing Council and the formation of the Association reflected this. In 1919, some 80 matrons joined the Association from across the country, mainly from hospitals, but including 13 matrons of poor law infirmaries. By June 2020 it had 367 members: 135 matrons of general hospitals; 104 'special' matrons; 25 matrons of military hospitals; 35 matrons of poor law infirmaries; 41 superintendents of nursing institutions, and 27 retired matrons. Some matrons were members of

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