The first part of this guide aims to help you locate a range of nursing and medical history resources available in the Taranaki Research Centre at Puke Ariki.
Subject searches using the Library Catalogue
The library catalogue can be used in-house at Puke Ariki or accessed online at
www.pukeariki.com Some subjects to try include:
- Nursing - New Zealand - Biography
- Nursing - New Zealand
- Nurses and nursing - New Zealand
- Nursing in New Zealand society
- Nursing - New Zealand - History - Bibliography
- Surgeons - New Zealand - Biography
- Military nursing - New Zealand - History
- New Zealand Army. Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps
- World War, 1914-1918 - Medical Care
- World War, 1939-1915 - Medical Care
- Hospitals - New Zealand - New Plymouth History
- New Plymouth - Hospital
- Stratford Hospital (Stratford, NZ) - History)
- Hawera Hospital
- Medicine - Taranaki
- Nursing schools - New Zealand - New Plymouth - History
Some examples of titles that can be found using the above subject headings:
- New Zealand service women, World War One / M.J Kelly TRC z940.475 New
- Stratford Hospital memories/ Alison Robinson TRC 993.485 Rob (Oral histories to accompany this publication can be accessed through the Taranaki Research Centre Archives)
- Hospital on the hill : a centennial history of the New Plymouth hospital/ AB Scanlan TRC z362.11 Sca
- Pioneer medical men of Taranaki, 1834 to 1880.../ W.H Skinner TRC z610.9 Ski
- Historical development of nursing in New Zealand 1840-1950 TRC V/F z610.73
- Silver jubilee, 1957-1982 / New Plymouth School of Nursing. Old Girls' Association TRC 610.73 NEW
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
Another useful resource for New Zealand medical and health biographies is the "Dictionary of New Zealand Biography" Vols 1-5 - TRC z920.093 Dic.
Personal names can be searched, or you can use the subject categories (e.g. nurses), at the back of the volumes to locate names. It can also be accessed online at www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/ As with the print volumes, biographies can be found in specific health fields using the "advanced search" options.
New Zealand Official Yearbooks
The "New Zealand Official Yearbooks" often feature information and historical articles on nursing and healthcare. For example:
Title: Grace Neill (1846-1926)
In: New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1993; P.142
Subject (Name): Neill, Grace (Wellington, 1846-1926)
Abstract: Outlines the life of one of the founders of the nursing profession in NZ.
The Taranaki Research Centre holds Yearbooks from 1893-2002 in the Statistics Collection.
Archives
The archives database can be searched by staff or can be accessed on the internet at www.pukeariki.com/en/resources/default.asp Search results will locate archives, oral histories and photographs. These will be mainly Taranaki orientated.
Searching can be done on personal names or general subjects such as the following:
- Nursing
- Hospitals
- Medical practitioners
- Medical Care
Some examples of available archives:
Title: Brennan, Joan
Catalog No: ARC 2002-480
Type: Oral History
Date: 1998
Scope: Alison Robinson talks with Joan Brennan, 39 Swansea Road, Stratford on 6thOctober 1998 about her work as a Night Sister at Straford Hospital between 1960 and 1983. Joan talks of her responsibilities, nursing techniques, changing nursing trends, the arrival of male nurses, dealing with patients etc.Recorded as part of Alison's research into her publication Stratford Hospital Memories. No abstract has been made. An edited transcript is available.
Access: Open access
Title: Bensel, Doris K.
Catalog No: ARC 2002-387
Type: Papers
Scope: A collection of manuscripts, newspaper clippings and reminiscences relating to early life in Taranaki and includes notes on musical events, nursing in New Plymouth and a history of fires and fire-fighting in New Plymouth.
Access: Open access
To view the archives you will need to register as a user at the Taranaki Research Centre. Identification is needed on registration. If you have searched for archives from the website, it is helpful if you can phone ahead and request archives to be put aside prior to your visit.
Photographs
Some of the photographic collection can be searched using the database on the Puke Ariki website. A more comprehensive card catalogue can be accessed in the Taranaki Research Centre. The photographs are held in drawers in the Taranaki Research Centre. Subjects to try in the index include:
- Nursing
- Hospitals
- Personal Names
Taranaki Information Files
Vertical file cabinets hold folders of information relevant to Taranaki. Look under "Health" categories, and under z610 in the far right vertical file cabinet.
Database and Statistical Resources
The second part of this guide describes databases and statistical resources available in the Taranaki Research Centre.
The following free search databases are some of those accessible from the Taranaki Research Centre. Access is free. Printing costs 20c per sheet.
INNZ
Search INNZ for references to articles that have appeared in New Zealand Journals and Newspapers since 1987. INNZ provides abstracts only. You can send search results to your e-mail.
NEWZTEXT
Fulltext of a number of key New Zealand newspapers. Includes Daily News from 1996 – present.
NEWZTEXT Magazines
Fulltext of a number of key New Zealand magazines. Health specific magazines include:
Doctor
Doctor (formerly NZ Doctor) is a national fortnightly newspaper providing medical and political news, clinical updates and commentary for family doctors. The search archive contains all articles from the news and business sections from January 1996 to the present.
Pharmacy Today
Up-to-date news covering politics, the pharmaceutical industry and business. There are also regular in-depth features covering retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, and topical issues.
The search archive contains complete issues from February 2000 to present.
Te Puna
Access to National Bibliographic Network - a catalogue containing books, reports, conference proceedings and government reports held in New Zealand Libraries. You can send search results to your e-mail.
Gulliver Health and Wellness Resource Centre and Alternative Health Module
Use this Resource Centre to find magazines, journals, newspapers, definitions, directories, and information on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug abuse, Prescription Drugs, Herbal remedies, and alternative or complementary treatments, etc. Not New Zealand specific.
This is a very small selection of journal titles indexed:
- Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health
- Australian Nursing journal
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse Researcher
- Nursing
- Nursing and Health Care Perspectives
- Nursing Diagnosis
- Nursing Education Perspectives
- Nursing Forum
- Nursing Homes Long Term Care Management
- Nursing Management
- Nursing Times
Gulliver InfoTrack OneFile
A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily. Not New Zealand Specific.
Statistics
The Taranaki Research Centre now has a separate Statistics Collection for ease of use. Contained in this area are Census statistics; Key Statistics; and assorted general statistics including Health.
Health Statistics
Health statistics can be found at Dewey numbers 305; 361-362 and 610-620, within the Statistics Collection (TRCS)
Some examples of titles that can be found are:
- Health of older people in New Zealand / Pamela Fletcher TRCS 305.26 Fle
- Health expenditure in New Zealand - Trends and Growth Patterns / A.G Smith TRCS 614.09 Smi
- Department of health Appendix to the Annual Report : containing hospital and charitable aid statistics 1938. TRCS 362.06 New
There are statistical series such as Mortality Data; Mental Health Data; Mortality and Demographic Data; Hospital Management Data etc.
Note: Some of these are older publications. Recent statistics of the same series can be found on the websites listed at the end of this guide.
Demographic Statistics
Community demographics can be found in the Department of Statistics Census publications. This is mostly presented in a regional breakdown (eg: New Plymouth District Council, Stratford District Council, Taranaki Region etc)
For a more specific area breakdown go to www.stats.govt.nz. In the search box type in your required area eg: Waitara, Vogletown, Spotswood, Moturoa etc. You will be given a community profile for your chosen area. This information is based on census data only.
Other factors to think about when compiling a community profile could include: Are there schools; health care facilities; retail outlets; takeaway outlets; community centres; libraries or mobile library stops? Local and school histories can provide historical information.
Health Statistics Websites
Department of Statistics - www.stats.govt.nz
Ministry of Health (MOH) Data - www.moh.govt.nz/PHMetadata.nsf/
byType?OpenView
New Zealand Health Information Service - www.nzhis.govt.nz
Maori Health Statistics -www.tpk.govt.nz/maori/health/default.asp
World Health Organisation Statistics -www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm
General Statistical Sources - New Zealand
University of Auckland Statistics Guide
www2.auckland.ac.nz/lbr/stats/
nz_pacific/NZsources.htm