In our own right : black Australian nurses' stories / edited by Sally S. Goold and Kerrynne Liddle

This warm and engaging compilation tells the stories of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nurses; their struggles, their dreams, their achievements. There are stories here that make you cry or make you smile, often both. They cover nurses from 22 years of age to those in their 70s. What they have in common is a passion for their work, and a determination to overcome any obstacles to their success. The obstacles can be formidable, and do not end with the first donning of the uniform. They include the authorities seeking to take them, as children, into the care of white institutions or families, their own families' resistance to their daughters entering the whitest of professions, prejudice from nursing school administrators, prejudice from patients, and their own self doubt as they seek the elusive prize of the title 'nurse'. The achievements of this elite group are as formidable as the obstacles they have overcome. There are directorships, doctorates, chairs of nursing, and official honours.