This project aimed to understand the role of the QNIS in providing healthcare for poor people in urban and rural contexts and how the role of a district nurse changed between 1930 and 1970.
Three key themes emerged from the interviews with the Queen’s Nurses. Firstly, their Queen’s training was important as it provided the skills and confidence to cope with any situation – health or contextual). Secondly, patient/practitioner relations were important, not simply for the job, but for making it an enjoyable job. There was mutual respect between the nurses and their communities which enhanced the nurse’s ability to promote health amongst their patients. Thirdly, the nurses were very innovative in their practice (frequently taking the form of adaptability or ‘making do’).