Sue bradley traces the career of Catherine Wood who introduced specialised training for children’s nurses in the late 19th century and devoted 25 years to improving standards of care for hospitalised children

In the light of recent calls for a generic nurse education and a move away from specialist training, the above comment could be part of the current debate concerning nurse education in the UK. It was in fact written by Catherine Wood, late Lady Superintendent of the Hospital for Sick Superintendent of the Hospital for concerning nurse education in the UK. It was in fact written by Catherine Wood, late Lady Children, Great Ormond Street, London, in August 1888. This paper presents a brief review of the development of hospitals for sick children and of children’s nursing at the end of the 19th century. In the context of the role of Catherine Wood in developing children’s nursing, a more detailed examination is then made of the knowledge and attitudes required by nurses caring for sick children, based on a series of papers published by Miss Wood in 1888.