Changing understanding and practices of nursing in Turkey: An analysis of two generations

Nursing is robustly feminized and assumed as the natural duty of womenhood which later transferred to the proffesional work life. As a result of being an approved female occupation, women are expected to perform their womenhood via nursing occupation combining the supreme thought and practical roles that attributed to them. The main aim of this study is to analyse and understand the solid and authorized impending of nursing across the generations, practising this occupation. Healing and nurturing were conducted by the female members of the family since the ancient times. Gradually with modernity and medical development, traditionally and socially structured caregiving duty of women shifted from domestic sphere to hospitals and care centers. Nurses are also assumed to be the symbol of the innocent and hard working care takers. In any case of wars or uprising social crises, women’s docile existence shifted from one purpose or duty to another on the interest of the state in the concept of women as potential nurses or docile citizenship. With time and modernity feminist discourses brought a new look to the nursing practices. Nurses who work for over 20 years, are educated with different values and conditions compared to incipient nurses. Generational differences also raise debates of division of labour and links of womanhood transfer of daily nursing care from home area to labour market. These concepts are needed to be tackled with a feministapproach. Changes in and understanding of the practice of nursing will be examined and shown through the data collected from the in-depth interviews conducted with both experienced and incipient nurses.