Nursing, Policy and Politics in Twentieth-century Chile

"A much-needed study that reveals the fundamental significance of the nursing profession in the history of public health and traces the important contributions nurses made to the creation of a functioning healthcare system. It explores vital questions of gender, medical practice, and power." —Jadwiga Pieper-Mooney, University of Arizona, USA "The authors convincingly demonstrate the links between nurses, past and present. This is an essential read for both studying processes of yesteryear and reviewing health policy of today." —Karina Ramacciotti, National University of Quilmes, Argentina This book offers the first in-depth account of healthcare policy in Chile across the twentieth century. It charts how nursing and nurses intersected with the political context of healthcare, with a focus on the country’s transition across welfare systems. Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with nurses and governmental representatives, this book explores how the nursing profession implemented and challenged reform, while policies had an impact on nurses. It analyses nurses’ employment and mobility, and their lobbying through the press and through unions. The authors demonstrate that while Chilean health policy was influenced by US cultural politics, reform depended on the flexibility and willingness of nurses to carry through reforms. By examining the participation of the largest female professional group, the book offers new insights into the privatization of society on the pinnacle of industrial development and seeks to contribute to contemporary debates on Chile’s welfare system. It is a vital read for scholars researching the history of public health. Markus Thulin is based at the Brauweiler Memorial Site of the Rhineland Regional Council, Germany. He has been both a researcher of Latin American history at the University of Cologne and a history lecturer, with his interests revolving aroundwomen’s history, history of healthcare and history teaching. Ricardo A. Ayala is a sociologist with a background in history, healthcare and political science. He is a professor of ethics at Universidad de las Américas, Chile, and a research affiliate at Ghent University, Belgium