The Canadian Association for the History of Nursing (CAHN/ACHN) is proud to announce its upcoming annual conference. We are currently inviting abstract submissions for the 2026 theme: Nursing Humanities and Historical Imaginations: Exploring the Context and Politics of Nursing Across Time, Place and Medium.

As the discipline of nursing history continues to flourish and generate fascinating new studies, the field of medical humanities has seen parallel growth. This call for papers aims to foster a necessary and vibrant dialogue between these two fields.

Exploring the Context of Nursing

The 2026 Annual Meeting seeks submissions that explore the context of nursing work across time, place, and artistic medium. While we encourage papers focusing on the intersection of history and humanities, we also welcome—as is our custom and tradition—any topic related to health history.

We invite researchers to submit abstracts addressing the following suggested topics:

• Representations in Media: Analyses of nursing in film, literature, art, and photographic representations.
• Indigenous Perspectives: Indigenous Ways of Knowing in the history of nursing and health.
• Material Culture: Historicized analyses of nursing uniforms, tools, and objects.
• Methodological Approaches: Narrative approaches to nursing experiences, visual storytelling, and documentary work.
• Education and Practice: The role of theatre in nursing education, practice, and research.
• Memory and Politics: Considerations of memory and commemoration, and the value of the humanities in exploring the politics of nursing.
• Diverse Narratives: Underrepresented stories in nursing history and historical understandings of nursing across time, space, and place.

Conference Details

The Annual Meeting will be co-organized by Dr. Kathryn McPherson and Dr. Lydia Wytenbroek on behalf of CAHN/ACHN.

• Date: May 29 – 31, 2026
• Location: York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Submission Guidelines

We invite abstracts relating to the topics above or general nursing and health history. Abstracts may be submitted in English or French.

We also encourage proposals for full panels or roundtables. These proposals must include a list of panel participants, a description of individual papers, and a rationale for the panel (maximum 250 words).

Deadline and Contact Information:

Please submit your abstract (150-250 words) and a brief biography by January 15, 2026.

Send submissions to: Dr. Lydia Witenbroek