Today, we are so used to the almost stereotypical view of the female hospital nurse that it's hard to imagine a time when she wasn't a part of the medical profession. Yet in both 1883 and 1893, we find articles describing nursing as a "new" profession for "girls" - a reminder that in the Victorian world, nursing was still largely a male profession. In Britain, women originally entered the nursing field through the convent, and long after nurses were no longer nuns, they were referred to in hospitals as "sister." In America, nursing was not considered a proper profession for women until the Civil War. Civil War medics initially tried to select only plain, rather severe women for the profession - but it soon became evident that the need was too great (and the pool of willing applicants too large) to attempt to limit the field to those who were deemed morally fit for the job.

How to Qualify for the Medical Profession, by F.H. Carter, MRCS (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1876)

The Nursing of the London Poor, by Sophia Caulfeild (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

A look at the activities of the nursing institutions established specifically to deal with the medical needs of London's poor.

Nursing as a Profession, by Phillis Browne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

A Hospital Nurse's Day (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

Nursing as a Profession, by S.F.A. Caulfeild (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

A detailed article providing information on qualifications, salaries, and living conditions.

[Nursing] A New Profession for Women, by Franklin H. North (Century Magazine, 1883A)

Hospital Work and Hospital Workers (Girl's Own Paper, 1884)

A detailed look at the work of a hospital nurse, and life in the wards.

Lady Dispensers, by Gordon Stables (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

How to become a pharmacist.

The Connecticut Training School for Nurses (Century Magazine, 1885B)

Nurses and Patients, by S.F.A. Caulfeild (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

A fascinating look at the hazards of the profession of nursing. At the time this article was written, nurses had a mortality rate of 40% compared to 16% amongst women in London in general (presumably based on age), half of those deaths being caused by infectious diseases.

The Unvarnished Side of Hospital Nursing (Girl's Own Paper, 1888)

A New Occupation for Girls (Nursing), by Rosa Nouchette Carey (Girl's Own Paper, 1893)

How to Become a Hospital Nurse (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

At the Sign of the Coloured Bottles, by Edith Julia Bain (Windsor Magazine, 1896A)

Pharmacy work as a career for women.

The Life of a Nurse (Girl's Own Paper, 1900)

Pharmacy as an Employment for Girls, by R. Kathleen Spencer (Girl's Own Paper, 1900)

Women's Work in Sanitation and Hygiene, by Florence Sophie Davson (Girl's Own Paper, 1900)