First national exhibition on Canadian nursing opens at the Museum of Civilization
Gatineau, Quebec, June 16, 2005 — Throughout Canada’s history, the care and compassion of nurses have made the difference between life and death in our hospitals, homes and schools, as well as on battlefields and in the country’s remotest outposts. The compelling stories of Canada’s nurses are told in A Caring Profession: Centuries of Nursing in Canada, the most extensive exhibition to examine on the impact of nursing on the lives of Canadians, presented at the Canadian Museum of Civilization until July 30, 2006 (new closing date).
A Caring Profession explores the history of vocational and professional nursing in Canada, from the first hospitals in New France to the present day. Visitors see the influence of Canada’s two parallel nursing traditions — the religious Catholic model and the secular British-inspired model. The exhibition also examines the development of nursing across the country in every province and territory, from the outports of Newfoundland to remote Inuit communities in the Arctic.
“At some moment in our lives, every Canadian owes his or her well-being to a nurse’s caring and curing hands. This exhibition shows how much nurses do to help us when we are at our most vulnerable,” says Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. “At different places and times, Canadian nurses’ tireless efforts have not only cured wounds, but also cared for the souls of the wounded, giving professional and humanizing care to those in need.”
The exhibition’s nine sections explore all aspects of nursing history and practice: Nursing in Canada, In the Hospital, At the Bedside, In the Home, In the Community, On the Frontier, On Campus and On the Picket Line, and On the Battlefield (by guest curator nursing historian Cynthia Toman). A final section, The Nurses’ Station, will be reserved for interactive presentations with volunteer nurses, and offer books and electronic resource materials.
“Over the centuries, nurses have undergone rigorous training to learn skills that have had a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of Canadians in every area of the country and every segment of society,” says Christina Bates, the exhibition’s curator. “I believe the time has come to recognize their many achievements.”
Hundreds of artifacts (from stethoscopes to nursing uniforms), vintage films and historic photos bring to life countless stories’ of nurses’ devotion, self-sacrifice, bravery and skill. A Caring Profession showcases the Canadian Nursing History Collection, which includes a large number of historic artifacts and documents donated by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) to the CMC, the Canadian War Museum and Library and Archives Canada.
These artifacts help illustrate the pioneering work of female religious nursing orders in New France in the areas of pharmaceuticals, holistic medicine and universal health care. They also highlight the hardships and isolation that nurses experienced in Canada’s frontier outposts, the crusading work of public health care nurses, and the continuing struggle of nurses today for professional recognition in our health care system.
Christina Bates is also co-editor, with Dianne Dodd and Nicole Rousseau, of On all Frontiers: Four Centuries of Canadian Nursing, which will be published to coincide with the exhibition’s opening. Available in both English and French, the book is a co-publication of the CMC and the University of Ottawa Press.
A Caring Profession will be presented in Gallery E of the Canadian Museum of Civilization until July 30, 2006 (new closing date).
Backgrounders
Media Information:
Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7167
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7169
Fax: (819) 776-7187
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