Department of English

• Thursday, January 25, 2024 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

The Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, Suite 2U, Claire M. Fagin Hall

What does it mean to be a nurse? How have nurse leaders, physicians, and hospitals constructed the nurse in the modern era? How has the nurse been imagined in popular culture? How have ideas, expectations, and experiences of nursing changed over time? In this workshop, we’ll explore a diverse set of materials ranging from a young adult book series, to board games, to annual reports from Philadelphia’s first Black nurse training schools. We will think about the ways that nursing has stood at the intersection of critical cultural and institutional conversations about gender, race, sexuality, labor, and the design of America’s healthcare system.

A reminder that these (informal!) workshops are open to all Penn students, staff, and faculty with an interest in teaching and/or research the intersection of gender and health. Our hope is to create a space for interdisciplinary community building in the medical humanities. RSVPs to mhemming@sas.upenn.edu are appreciated but not necessary for attendance!