摘要：Young women wishing to train as a nurse during the early part of this century,entered into a hospital environment which taught them not only the skills of nursing,but also skilled them in how to be a nurse. Along with learning how to do a dressing,they learnt obedience, and while learning how to clean the pan room, they learntabout hierarchy and the traditions of nursing. Trainees were required to live andwork within the confines of the hospital grounds, and as such, developed a distinctculture that was a compilation of work, moral and traditional elements. This paperwill use a combination of oral and documentary sources to examine the developmentof the nursing culture and the transformation of nursing students within the wardenvironment of the Rockhampton Hospital between 1930 and 1950. Focusing on asmall regional hospital allows one to gain a greater understanding of the nursingculture, and to investigate this culture to a greater depth as it existed in onelocation. In particular, aspects of reinforcing the nursing culture will be examined,that is the communication channels that had to be followed, delegation of duties andthe nursing hierarchy, and the socialisation of trainees by other trainees as part ofthe informal educational processes
