The Making of Modern Nursing Professions in the East Asia during the Late Nineteenth Century to Twentieth Century

Nursing education and profession play a significant role in the medical history of Hong Kong after WWII. The demand of medical care service suddenly increased in view of the influx of refugees after WWII, hence government-subsidized hospitals were re-built to boost the capacity of hospitals to provide proper and sufficient in-patient treatments to the mass population. Moreover, these hospitals expanded their nursing school to training more professional nurses, and trained probationers became essential source of manpower in the hospitals. During this period, nursing profession has been growing rapidly in Hong Kong, and has become a promising career option for Chinese women. Furthermore, the advancement of medical science required more specific techniques that fostered the development of specialized nursing practices. Hence, professional nurses earned a higher reputation in the community, bringing good impacts to the rise of women status in Hong Kong. On the other hand, nurses who worked for government-subsidized hospitals fought for equal salary and benefit with those working in government hospitals, as they were all recognized under the same ordinance. Taking Kwong Wah Hospital Nursing School as a case study, this paper examines the evolution of nursing education and profession in Hong Kong after WWII through the study of oral history, archival documents and memories.