Quo Vadis? A question of historical awareness.

AIM

To emphasize the role of history in shaping clinical nursing identity and opportunities, and encourage nurses' contribution to the story of contemporary clinical nursing.

APPROACH

Drawing upon history frameworks and approaches to history research, greater engagement of clinical nurses in recording nursing history is canvassed. A basic framework for developing historical research from practice narratives is suggested as a feasible option.

OUTCOMES

Topics identified: a) nurses' awareness of their history and nursing's professional standing; b) the importance of oral history in nursing development; and c) digital influences on history research and constructing historical narratives.

CONCLUSION

Clinical nurses' stories contribute to historical research. All nurses are responsible for gathering and distributing contemporary local narratives on clinical nursing. Oral history research provides a framework for nurses to record and share stories.

IMPLICATIONS

Recorded history can prevent nursing from being trivialized or misrepresented. Missing accounts of contemporary nursing create gaps in our narrative and risk future professional disempowerment.