title: Nursing's orphans: how the system of nursing education in Australia is undermining professional identity.
abstract: This paper draws on the results of a national study of approaches to teaching nursing's history in Australia. We argue that the neglect of history learning within undergraduate nursing and midwifery education is undermining the development in students of a strong professional nursing identity. The data in our study shows that instead of proud, informed professionals, we are at risk of producing a generation of professional orphans -- unaware of who they are and where they've come from, unaware of reasons underlying cultural practices within the profession, lacking in vision for the future, insecure about their capacity to contribute to future directions, and not feeling part of something bigger and more enduring.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health, Central Queensland University, Bundaberg, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godden
authors.forename: Jennene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenhill
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011361:Professional Competence