History of Home Nursing in Australia Created by Danielle Hobbs

Introduction In 1885 a group of concerned citizens met and formed the Melbourne District Nursing Service The objective of this group was to care for disadvantaged sick people in their home There are now over 200 active organisations providing nursing care in the home, in every State and Territory of Australia

Home nursing services began as voluntary organisations and over the years there have been constant financial challenges and growing demands In 1965 the Commonwealth Home Nursing Subsidy Act was passed This meant that Home Nursing Organisations became eligible for subsidies for the salaries of their nurses From this time on nursing services in the home rapidly developed and spread throughout Australia

Nurses were the catalyst for the development of many innovative programs designed to meet the needs of the community It was Dr Caffyn and Rev. C. Strong who brought information about home nursing from England and Scotland, and they were both instrumental in the set up of the first Home Nursing organisation in Australia- the Melbourne District Nursing Society

Introduction of District Nursing 1885 Victoria 1894 South Australia 1896 Tasmania 1900 New South Wales 1904 Queensland 1905 Western Australia 1929 Northern Territory 1946 A.C.T.

Victoria When a concerned group of citizens met in Melbourne in 1885 they looked at the poor health and living conditions of disadvantaged sick people in Melbourne. Dr Caffyn and Rev. Charles Strong were a part of this group-they were both aware of the services in England and Scotland and briefed the group on their work. The Melbourne District Nursing Society was then formed with the aim of looking after the sick poor people at home to prevent hospitalisation.

In 1892 Mrs Smith, a graduate from the Florence Nightingale school, became the first fully qualified nurse to be employed. It was at this time that the stereotype of nurse's being like the drunken nurse in Dickens began to lift, and there was a shift to nursing being seen as a scientific profession for gentlewomen In 1957 the Melbourne District Nursing Society was changed to the Melbourne District Nursing Service

Nurses were able to develop a great awareness of community needs through their close contact with the sick at home and their families. This enabled nurses to pioneer many innovative programs over the years: A lecture series on hygiene was established Baby welfare clinics were established

1934- The Melbourne District Nursing Society Women’s Welfare Clinic commenced, offering info on family planning and birth control The Melbourne District Nursing Society Ante-Natal Clinic began routine weighing and BP recording of pregnant women, resulting in detection and early treatment of toxemia two nurses worked from a Community Health Centre visiting residents in housing commission dwellings, focusing on case findings.

Current Services Domiciliary nurses provide both general and specialist care Examples: Catheterisation Home assessment Stomal care Self care Ante-natal and post-natal care

Changes in service focus Home Nursing organisations developed because of identified health care needs in the community. The focus at the beginning was on the sick, poor and the disadvantaged. However, services were later made accessible to all people within the community as agencies began to receive increased Government subsidy.

Rapid development in medical and technological services has placed new demands on nurses working in the community. Over recent years people are being discharged from hospital earlier and at a more acute stage of illness and nurses have to undertake further in-service, post-basic, and/or post graduate education in order to continue to provide quality care.

History of Home Nursing in Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics sf/featurearticlesbyCatalogue/911B5AF72 F818795CA2569DE0024ED5A?OpenDoc ument Reference: