Ranking nowadays is by grade and non gender specific title,...

Ranking nowadays is by grade and non gender specific title, Example RN Grade 2 year 10. The managers are NUMs (Nurse unit manager) and 2IC is ANUM (Associate Nurse Unit Manager).

Sisters and Matrons are from the days when Nursing began as a profession, they were all Nuns without medical qualifications and happened to be female. It started from a good place, Nuns helping the less fortunate.

Obviously things have changed, with a formal education, it is now a professional medical occupation. However, Nurses do call each other sister and brother, a modified tradition we have held on to. I kind of like it because it makes the team more of a family.