Bold Profession: African Nurses in Rural Apartheid South Africa

In rural South African clinics, Black nurses played critical roles in administering health care measures despite a lack of equipment and personnel. Leslie Anne Hadfield's book "A Bold Profession" showcases their dedication to their communities and the struggles of balancing career and family lives during apartheid. It fills an important gap for scholars studying the history of women, nursing, and health care in South Africa.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 11 May 2021
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press

In the rural clinics of South Africa, Black nurses assumed a pivotal role, charged with delivering essential and life-saving healthcare services despite lacking adequate equipment and personnel. Navigating the complex intersections of traditional African healing practices, evolving gender relations, and the emergence of educational and economic opportunities for South Africa's Black middle class between the 1960s and 1980s, these nurses played a critical part in shaping the healthcare landscape of the Eastern Cape. Leslie Anne Hadfield's insightful work, A Bold Profession, vividly showcases how these women managed to establish their own professional domain and redefine notions of health and healing in the Eastern Cape. Through the narratives of these nurses in their own words, Hadfield pays tribute to their unwavering commitment to the well-being of their communities. The book also sheds light on the challenges they faced in balancing their careers with their family responsibilities during the oppressive era of apartheid. A Bold Profession fills a significant gap in the scholarship on the history of women, nursing, and healthcare in South Africa, highlighting the humanity of healthcare workers and their enduring contributions to the nation's healthcare system.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780299331207