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Rebecca Watterson, BA , MA, PhD

Fee £100.00 (concession rate £80.00) - fee will amend when you select the appropriate fee rate below.

Autumn 2026

10 weekly sessions on Tuesdays 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm, starting 29 September

Who looked after the sick before nursing was a recognised job? When did “care” become something you could train for, and who was expected to do it? What would you expect to find in a nurse’s bag in the past, and what does that tell us about the kind of work nurses were doing? This course looks at the history of nursing in Ireland, with a focus on Ulster, from the nineteenth century through to the 1960s. It follows the shift from informal care in homes and religious settings to the development of nursing as a trained profession. We will look at what the work actually involved day to day, where nurses worked, and how ideas about care, discipline and responsibility changed over time. Along the way, the course will explore how gender, religion and class shaped who became a nurse, and what was expected of them. No prior knowledge is needed. The course is informal and discussion-based.

This class will take place on QUB campus

For further reading: Nursing and Social Change, Monica Baly, 1995, Routledge; Health and Welfare in Ireland, 1838–1948, Lindsey Earner-Byrne and Diane Urquhart, 2007, Irish Academic Press

Support Requirements

If as a result of your disability you have support requirements, please complete a support needs form and return it 3 weeks before your class commences. The form is available to download here under the Facilities and Support for Disabled Students section or contact the office on 90 973323.

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