Abstract: A discussion of the increased use of 'casual' nursing staff (those nurses employed on a casual or 'per diem' basis) is presented. Reference is made to related literature, together with consideration of the implications associated with this trend. This issue has international significance, with the increased use of casual staff being widely recognised. A New Zealand perspective is included, with the provision of nursing care at Christchurch Hospital presented to illustrate certain aspects of the discussion. The impact of changing health-care systems and increased emphasis on efficiency and accountability are identified. This change to workplace practice will inevitably affect nursing; possible future developments are considered.

Abstract: This article examines the knowledge and power relationships between the medical profession and nurses during the first half of the twentieth century. It argues that the 1901 Nurses' Registration Act allowed doctors to exert control over the nursing profession and that the hierarchal structure of the profession contributes to the culture of control and surveillance.

Abstract: Forensic mental health nursing roles have developed along different lines in the United States and the United Kingdom. The authors suggest that New Zealand nurses consider the evolution of such roles here.

Abstract: This article provides a brief overview of the findings of a hermeneutic study that explored the experience of nursing people from cultures other than one's own. The notions prejudice, paradox, and possibility are argued to describe this phenomenon. Nurses in New Zealand are being challenged to recognise and address racism in their practice. Yet, the implementation of cultural safety in nursing education has created tension within the profession and between nursing and the wider community. As nurses negotiate the conflicts essential for ongoing development of their practice, the play of prejudice, paradox, and possibility is evident at intrapersonal and interpersonal levels as well as in relation to professional and other discourses. Nurses are challenged to continue their efforts to understand and move beyond the prejudices that otherwise preclude the exploration of new possibilities.

Abstract: This thesis explores the shortage of general hospital nurses in post World War II New Zealand between 1945 and 1955. Historical inquiry is used to identify the causes of the shortage and the response to the shortage by the Health Department, hospital boards and nurse leaders. Christchurch Hospital, administered by the North Canterbury Hospital Board, is used to illustrate the situation at one large, public, general hospital. Primary sources provided the majority of material which informed this thesis. Two themes emerge regarding the causes of the shortage of nurses: those that were readily acknowledged by nurse leaders and other health professionals at the time, and those which were less widely discussed, but which contributed to the nature of nursing work appearing less attractive to potential recruits. In response to the shortage the Health Department, hospital boards and the New Zealand Registered Nurses Association mounted several recruitment campaigns throughout the decade. As the shortage showed no sign of abatement the focus turned from recruitment to retention of nurses. While salaries, conditions and training were improved, nurse leaders also gave attention to establishing what nurses' work was and what it was not. Nurse leaders and others promoted nursing as a profession that could provide young women with a satisfying lifelong career. Due to these efforts, by 1955, this episode in the cycle of demand and supply of nurses had begun to improve.