February 22, 2022 to October 2, 2022
The exhibition
On February 14, 1920, a group of 8 nurses established the Association des gardes-malades enregistrées de la province de Québec (AGMEPQ) after three years of hard work. The up and coming Association would gradually change the face of the nursing profession, both in terms of training and access to the practice. It evolved over time with its members and finally took on the name Ordre des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ).
Today, the OIIQ is the largest professional order in Québec. Its role is to guide nursing practices while also supporting nursing leadership in regard to current healthcare needs.
The exhibition was produced by the OIIQ to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020 and presents the Ordre’s contribution through the century to the evolution of the nursing profession in Quebec, through documents, archive photos and nursing objects.
Nurse assisting an operation (1902, ARHSJM Collection)
When first created in the early 20th century, nursing schools were centered on dedication and female know-how. The Association des gardes-malades enregistrées de la province de Québec contributed to change that image by focusing on improving skills through better scientific training and, most importantly, the exclusivity of the registered nurse title.
Skeleton study (circa 1955, Collection ARHSJM)
Over the years, training became increasingly rigorous and angled towards practice. Actions like these were at heart of the Association des gardes-malades enregistrées de la province de Québec, and later the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec. As early as 1922 the Association offered a reference curriculum to nursing schools, whose operations were still autonomous. It also supported the development of a comprehensive academic pathway in nursing, all through the PhD level.
Nursing Québec (February 1979, OIIQ Archives)
The OIIQ has overseen the exclusive use of the nurse title since 1946 and has become a key spokesperson for the profession. In 1974, it obtained legal recognition of the practice of nursing. Nevertheless, intense negotiations took place in the late 1970s to determine nurses’ position in the network. Which acts are the responsibility of the physicians or nurses? In a context where the health field has seen an increase in specializations, the OIIQ of the 21st century still pays attention to the field of practice and the activities reserved for nurses.
Credits and curatorship
A Musée des Hospitalières exhibition curated by the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, in collaboration with the Musée des Hospitalières, curated by Nathalie Lampron.
Initially presented at the Maison des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec in 2020, the exhibition was adapted for the Musée des Hospitalières in 2022.