School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

'Giving the dope': Australian Army nurse anaesthetists during World War I

HARRIS, KIRSTY ( 2003)

More than 2500 trained Australian army nurses served overseas during World War I. Many were called upon to act outside their normal nursing practice and one new area was that of anaesthetics. Due to a lack of medical officers in the latter part of the war, a number of Australian theatre sisters trained and worked as nurse anaesthetists in Casualty Clearing Stations in France. The British Army provided three months’ training for Australian, British and New Zealand nurses in the use of chloroform and ether. Australian nurses were enthusiastic volunteers as trained nurses at home had already carved out a small but unofficial place for the profession in this role. In addition, Canadian and American army and civil nurses were already trained and used as nurse anaesthetists. While nurses were successfully used without recorded incident, at the end of the first training course, the Director General of Medical Services, Australian Imperial Force, decreed that the nurses would not be further trained or used. This was out of step with the other countries participating, and this paper examines some possible reasons for the change of heart.