Dr Denise Poynter reveals how female nurses during the First World War were treated for trauma.
Soldiers were not the only ones to experience ‘shell shock’ during the First World War. Dr Denise Poynter argues that the notion of war-induced traumatic neurosis being the preserve of men is a pretence, and that the previous focus on male sufferers means the history of the condition is incomplete.
Dr Poynter will fill this gap in the research by outlining the experiences, symptoms and treatment of war trauma experienced by female nurses in the First World War.
As the entire nation mobilised for the First World War, women took up new challenges. Many of these opportunities had previously been off limits, including military service.
Since 2018, all British Army combat roles have been open to female soldiers. However, the history of women's service in the Army stretches much further back in time.