VPRS 19340 Training School for Nurses Annual Reports

Full description

This series consists of annual reports of the Training School for Nurses that operated within Prince Henry's Hospital. The records in this series contain the names of trainee nurses and when they commenced their training. They provide the names and registration numbers of nurses on staff, and the names and qualifications of lecturers. The reports include statistical information related to Nursing at the Hospital, e.g. number of beds occupied, number of patients and number of operations performed.

In 1885 the Melbourne Homoeopathic Hospital accepted its first trainee nurses with the introduction of a training school. The training period was two years. The curriculum was prescribed by the Honorary Medical Staff who lectured twice weekly on Anatomy, Physiology, Hygiene and General Nursing, and conducted examinations at the end of the year.

By 1902 the Homoeopathic Hospital was one of the 36 Victorian hospitals registered with the Victorian Trained Nurses’ Association, which set the standard curriculum for training schools and held annual examinations conducted by an independent Board of Examiners composed of the Matrons of some of the hospitals and nursing lecturers from their Honorary Medical Staff. Trainees undertaking the three year course, including the certificate, had to serve the three years exclusively within the hospital.

The Nurses Board (VA 3144) (also known as the Nursing Board of Victoria) was established on 1st July 1924 with the proclamation of the Nurses Registration Act 1923 (No 3307). Prior to the establishment of the Board, Victorian nurses were not subject to any compulsory training or registration. However, private organisations such as the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association did register nurses who completed and passed training in one of their training schools.

With the proclamation of the Nurses Act 1956 (No.6035) on 1 March 1958 the Victorian Nursing Council (VA 1352) was established. The Council assumed responsibility for functions previously administered by the Board, and expanded its activities to include the registration of all nurses and the investigation of various matters related to nursing.

As contained in this series, the Prince Henry's Hospital Training School for Nurses was required to report annually to the Nurses Board (VA 3144) and, later, the Victorian Nursing Council (VA 1352).