Canadian Association For The History of Nursing
Nursing Humanities and Historical Imaginations: Exploring the Context and Politics of Nursing Across Time, Place and Medium
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 15, 2026
While nursing history continues to flourish as a discipline and generate fascinating new studies, so too has the field of medical humanities. This call aims to foster dialogue between nursing history and nursing humanities. We invite submissions that explore the context of nursing work across time, place and artistic medium.
Suggested topics include the following (below) or, as is our custom and tradition, any topic related to health history.
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Representations of nursing in film, literature and art
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Indigenous Ways of Knowing in the history of nursing/health
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Underrepresented stories in nursing history
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Historical understandings of nursing across time, space and place
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Historicized analyses of nursing uniforms, tools and material culture
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Considerations of memory and commemoration in nursing history
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The value of the humanities in exploring the practice and politics of nursing
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Analyses of photographic representations of nurses
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The role of theatre in nursing education, practice and research
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Narrative approaches to nursing experiences
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Visual storytelling and documentary work in nursing
We invite abstracts that address these, or other topics related to nursing and health history, to be presented at the annual conference of the Canadian Association for the History of Nursing/Association Canadienne pour l’histoire du nursing (CAHN/ACHN) which will be held at York University (Toronto, Canada) from May 29 to 31, 2025 (co-organized by Dr. Kathryn McPherson and Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek on behalf of CAHN/ACHN).
Abstracts may be submitted in English or French. Proposals for full panels or roundtables are also encouraged and should include a list of panel participants, and a description of individual papers and a rationale (max 250 words) for the panel.
Please submit an abstract (150-250 words) and a brief bio to Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek [[email protected]] by January 15, 2026.
Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek Assistant Professor, UBC School of Nursing [email protected]
