Nursing during the spanish civil war and its post-war period (1936-1949): Forgetting and disabling

Abstract

Background: The health model during the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) and the care prac-tices developed by the nursing staff transformed the health conditions of the country. During the civil war (1936-1939), social and health care was unequal. Objective: Analyse the influence of health care during and after the Spanish Civil War. Methodology: Historical-descriptive research related to health care during the Civil War. Compila-tion of information: nursing documents, newspapers, books, laws. Interpretative analysis by dates and events of the period of study. Results: Between 1939 and 1949, the laws enacted revised the work carried out by the health work-ers, leading to the repression and elimination of the health workers who were alien to the prevailing political ideas, which meant a process of purification. Conclusion: The government of the Second Republic attributed importance to hygiene in the san-itary and domestic field. After the Civil War, Spain suffered from a lack of health care at both civil and military levels. During the post-war the identity of part of the nursing profession was forgotten.