Nurses and nursing schools in the yearbooks of the University of Coimbra, from 1866 to 1956

Abstract

Background: The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century combine a period of profound transformations in care institutions and their professionals. Objective: To know this period of nursing history in Portugal, analyze the yearbooks of the University of Coimbra, considering them as the primary source. Methodology: Descriptive historical analysis of 73 yearbooks, with a survey of sources and construc-tion of descriptive and interpretative synthesis. Results: The available material was centered on the years 1896 to 1927. The analysis synthesized 4 topics: 1) names and functions of nurses; 2) nurses, in the decree of the reform of the Hospitals of the University of Coimbra, in 1911, the staff and salaries in 1915-16; 3) equine veterinary nurses and military nurses in 1915-16 and 1917-18; 4) the nursing school from 1919-20 to 1926-27 and university professors. Conclusion: We found 104 names with defined functions, considered as auxiliary staff and non-clin-ical personnel. The head nurse comes out prominently. The nursing school of the university hospitals appears, with the identification of the university head teachers.