The re-casualisation of the nursing labour force at the end of the 20th century: A comparison with the end of the 19th century

The development and definition of the profession of nursing required, inter alia, the extinction of a casual nursing workforce that, in the main, provided the nursing staff of the hospitals in England up to the 1860s. That process was a 'moral crusade' as well as an attempt at organizational efficiency. As the end of the 20th century approached, the picture appeared to have turned full circle, and many more nursing staff are employed on anything but full-time contracts. There are major implications for the way the profession defines itself and for the future of nursing work.