Nursing Collectibles

Never mind the part about big brains and opposable thumbs, the thing that makes humans different from other animal species is that humans collect. Stuff. Desert woodrats, also known as pack rats, gather things together in order to build their nests, but only humans gather things together for the purpose of having things. People collect postage stamps, coins, trading cards, old cars, and tools. About the only requirement for something to be a collectible is that it's described with a collective noun and doesn't spoil at room temperature.

Some people stick with traditional collectibles, but others like to collect things that are associated with their occupations or at least occupations that interest them. Nursing, with its rich history and traditions, is a wonderful area for collections.

Nursing caps are among the most obvious nursing collectibles. The cap, awarded to the student nurse in a formal capping ceremony after she had completed the probationary period at school, was one of the oldest symbols of the profession. Each nursing school had its own design, making these caps particularly suitable for collecting, and because the caps were still worn well into the 20th century, prices are still affordable. The online auction site eBay routinely offers vintage caps that sell for $10–20 each. But because the caps are usually sold without documentation of the school they represented, the collector will have to study the subject at one of the major collections, such as the Nurses' Alumni Organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the collections at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum.

Among the more interesting aspects of the museum displays are the discussions of the origins of nursing cap designs. Some designs drew their inspiration from the nun's coif, to signify the tradition of Roman Catholic nursing, and this was the basis for the classic nurses' cap with wings turned back. Others found their design in the caps commonly worn by domestic servants. Less common designs in the collection include one that was loosely based on the academic mortarboard, and another that was inspired by flame from Florence Nightingale's famous lantern.

Just as the nurses' cap was awarded by the school of nursing after probation, the school pin was given, or more often sold, to the nurse at graduation. The pin, and the pinning ceremony, are still common. While new pins are generally available in the $100 range (more if the pin is made of gold), vintage pins may be available at retail for as little as $35 or $40, with a guarantee that the pin will always be repurchased at the original price.

Like the cap, the pin design was specific to the school. The designs had varying degrees of symbolism. The Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama has a pin depicting Minerva, Greek goddess of wisdom. To Minerva's left, near her feet, is an open scroll that depicts learning. She holds an olive branch of peace in her left hand. Minerva's right hand rests on a globe, signifying knowledge for the world. The sun is in the background to her right and represents the light of science. In contrast, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in Galveston has a pin showing a gold nugget and the Lone Star symbol of Texas.

Collections of nursing textbooks are relatively rare, and may not have the same dollar value as old books from other fields, but they can have both sentimental and historical significance. While first editions are locked up in museums and school libraries, old textbooks, dating back to the start of the 20th century, can offer a look into the past, and are simply fun to have. The best places to find these books are nursing libraries, which sell old books from time to time in order to clear their shelves. The books may turn up in antique stores, or on eBay. An 1896 edition of Clinical Gynecology, a library discard, cost only $2.00, and a 1933 volume Nursing the Insane Mental Patient was bid up to $19.99.

Collecting children's books about nurses and nursing can also be rewarding and, for those intimidated by the prices of vintage hockey cards and comic books, surprisingly low in cost. Based on a web search, the largest collection of children's books about nurses is owned by Grettir Asmundarson, an information security engineer from Utah. His collection currently stands at 263 volumes, although it apparently has some non-nurses, such as Ann Foster, Lab Technician and Erle Stanley Gardner's The Case of the Fugitive Nurse, which is a Perry Mason mystery. For most of these books, the prices are quite reasonable.

These books can be fun to collect, particularly for people of a certain age. They can bring back memories of childhood, and are surprisingly affordable. A 1944 edition of Cherry Ames, Army Nurse retails for only $7.00 and a 1943 first edition of Cherry Ames, Senior Nurse in good condition is a bargain at $3.75. A better investment would have been a first edition of Night Nurse Comics. In mint condition, volume 1, #1 retails for $200.

Antique nursing equipment may be easy to find, although it means wandering through collections directed towards physicians. Antique brass and glass syringes are often listed as medical, rather than nursing antiques, ignoring the fact that care of the syringes, including sharpening of the needles, was the task of nurses. Leather equipment bags are routinely described as "doctor" bags, although these bags were used equally by nurses.

For some people, collecting can become a lifelong passion. For others, it may simply be a way to have a link to the past. Having a collection of nursing memorabilia, whether it's complete or just a few items, can be intellectually stimulating, emotionally rewarding, and surprisingly inexpensive.

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