Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/284

268 268 A Short History of Nursing state of Victoria, and the Royal Victorian Trained Nurses' Association was formed in 1901. While this duplication was in some ways regrettable, yet it produced a wholesome emulation, and in 1902 an agreement for reciprocity in training standards was worked out. In time a general system was reached by which these voluntary societies prac- tically brought all the training schools of the continent to accept a recognized standard, by admitting to membership only those graduates who passed a central examining committee of the nursing association. In 191 1 an examination in mental nursing was added. This whole achieve- ment was very remarkable. It is the most success- ful effort anywhere shown, of control of nursing education in hospitals by voluntary organization. As hospitals multiplied, however, and new ven- tures in training were set on foot, especially in private hospitals (i. e., those conducted by indivi- duals for profit or to accommodate private pa- tients), the Australian nurses began pressing for state control. Their first state act, that of Queens- land, went into effect in 19 12. Two professional journals are published, the Australasian Nurses Journal, organ of the older society, and Una, of the younger. The nurses of Australia watch closely all de-