Abstract
This thesis investigates attitudes expressed by nurses on industrial relations issues which have arisen, or may possibly arise, within the nursing profession in New Zealand. It is impossible to over-emphasise the critical nature of maintaining good industrial relations in our health-care institutions, yet very few comprehensive studies have been undertaken to discover just what the term good industrial relations actually implies in this context. If it means the absence of strikes, then it must follow that our health-care institutions have excellent industrial relations records and could surely act as an example both within New Zealand and overseas. However, any analysis of industrial relations simply in terms of overt conflict is a dangerous oversimplification. This thesis delves deeper into the institutionalisation of industrial relations inside the nursing profession. Hence, greater stress is placed upon the customs, laws and practices of the various organisations representing nurses than would normally appear in any discussion of industrial relation issues (…) [Extract from Preface]