Thesis (Ph. D.)--Open University. BLDSC no. D68525/86.

This dissertation argues that the experiences of a highly specific group of female medical personnel and the representations of their experiences, both during World War II and in the immediate postwar era, provide a unique opportunity for investigating the role of Australian women in the Pacific War, as well as the processes through which personal testimonies are produced in relation to collective memory, state-sponsored rituals of commemoration, and history. Victims of one of the most infamous war crimes of World War II, the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) Sisters and their wartime experiences at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army (JIA) on Sumatra have been accorded considerable prominence in Australian narratives of the Pacific conflict. Yet notwithstanding this attention, there has been surprisingly little focus on the nurses’ own accounts of the episode. This dissertation is the first attempt to redress the balance by offering a critical reassessment of the original source material, while exploring the broader discursive contexts within which such accounts were produced. The dissertation considers first-hand accounts of the “Bangka Island Massacre” and the AANS Sisters’ subsequent internment by the Japanese between February 1942 and September 1945. The chapters that follow explore the role of the nurses’ ordeal on Sumatra in the development of a professional Australian nursing self-identity, the episode’s incorporation in the national rituals of commemoration surrounding the remembrance of the Pacific conflict, and ultimately, the extent to which the nurses’ narratives have fed into – and helped to shape – a distinctive postwar Australian nationalism. Even before their release from captivity, the AANS Sisters had acquired iconic status in Australia, as embodiments of heroic resistance, altruistic sacrifice and bravery. The dissertation is arranged in four thematic chapters, which consider four distinct areas of the nurses’ experiences – the “Bangka Island Massacre”, internment, press representation and remembrance. Chapter 2 reassesses documentary material collected for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) in 1946 in order to examine the murders on Bangka Island and the alleged sexual violence associated with the crime. Chapter 3 draws on the published and unpublished camp memoirs of several of the nurses to explore the ways in which the nurses characterized their internment experiences, and the possible factors influencing the construction of those narratives. Chapter 4 makes use of Australian print and broadcast media archives to investigate how the imprisoned Sisters, and civilian and military nurses more generally, were portrayed by the press, and the possible effect this may have had on postwar nation-building, nationalism and remembrance in Australia. Finally, Chapter 5 examines the inclusion of the AANS Sisters in postwar commemorative endeavours and rituals of remembrance – including monuments, shrines, museum displays, temporary exhibitions and the celebration of Anzac Day – investigating the extent to which the nurses have been incorporated into the “Anzac legend”, Australia’s militaristic interpretation of the national character. / published_or_final_version / History / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M.A. in Education)--San Diego State University, August 1992. / "August 1992." Description based on title screen as viewed on April 16, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-21). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1990.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1990.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: School of Nursing Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references.

The current and long standing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are producing a large population of soldiers returning home with extensive physical and mental illnesses. The most common mental health illness in soldiers is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A large portion of these soldiers are not being treated for their mental illness because they are not seeking help, they cannot find or access help and they are being misdiagnosed. This failure to get appropriate and timely mental health treatment for PTSD causes a wide array of adverse effects personally and on the community. Soldiers suffering from untreated PTSD are more likely to be unemployed, divorced, use more medical services, be abusive to their spouses, and get fired from employment. The purpose of this thesis is to promote an understanding about why many of these soldiers are not being treated for PTSD, inform nurses about how to detect soldiers in need of care and aid them to get appropriate care. This research was conducted through nursing and psychiatric databases as well as information from the Veterans Administration and books to further expand upon resources and studies on this topic.

No description available.

Bakgrund: Humanitära insatser i kris- och katastrofområden har en historia där sjuksköterskans roll är central. Att komma som sjuksköterska till ett krisdrabbat område med detta enorma ansvar och att jobba under flera veckor, ofta månader, i en ny miljö ställer enorma krav på sjuksköterskans kompetens. Även andra åtskilliga förmågor så som kulturell kompetens, ledar- och organisationsförmåga, samarbete och flexibilitet sätts på prov. Sjuksköterskan förväntas vägleda, dirigera och samordna de professioner som jobbar runt sjuksköterskan samtidigt som denne själv ska ansvara för andras säkerhet och omvårdnad. Detta i en värld där natur och människoskapade katastrofer ökat drastiskt de senaste åren. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva utmaningar sjuksköterskor upplever under ett humanitärt uppdrag. Metod: Denna studie är en litteraturöversikt baserad på tio vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Dessa valdes ut, granskades och sammanställdes utifrån likheter och skillnader. Resultat: Fyra teman identiferades; ”sjuksköterskans roll”, ”vård i skottlinjen”, ”levnadsförhållanden” och ”kulturella aspekter” Slutsats: Det finns ett flertal utmaningar som potentiellt kan förhindra ett effektivt och optimalt arbete. En tydlig bild över vilka dessa utmaningar är, framhävande arbetsmiljön, skulle möjliggöra sjuksköterskor som är bättre förberedda inför framtida humanitära insatser. Klinisk betydelse: Författarna vill framhäva det faktum att förberedelser baserad på adekvat information skulle förbereda sjuksköterskor för humanitära insatser. / Background: Humanitarian assistance in crisis- and disaster areas have a history in which nurse’s role become central. To come as a nurse to an ailing area with this grande responsibility and to work for several weeks in a new environment places enormous demands on nurses’ skills. Other various skills such as cultural competence, leadership- and organizational skills, cooperation and flexibility are also a necessity. The nurse is expected to guide, direct and coordinate the working team while he/she himself will perform his/hers own duties as a nurse while being responsible for the safety of others and their care. The environment in which these nurses work is by definition challenging but have during receant years become even more so due to natural and manmade disasters. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the challenges that the nurses’ experience during a humanitarian mission. Methods: This study is a literature overview based on ten qualitative, peer-reviewd, articles. The articles were chosen and  analysed on the basis of similarities and differences. Results: Four themes were identified; “the nurses’ role”, “healthcare in the firing line”, “living conditions” and “cultural aspects”. Conclusion: There is a number of challenges that potentially could prevent a efficient and optimal job. A clear image regarding these challenges emphasizeing humanitarian working envionment could enable a nurse more prepared for future humanitarian assignments. Clinical implications: The authors emphasize that a preparation based on adequate information would prepare nurses for humanitarian missions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2001. / "... The letters, postcards and photographs that Jessie, Fred and Will sent home to their mother and family, as well as Fred's fourteen diaries, form the foundation of this thesis..." -- p. 2. Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 23, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.