THE BEGINNINGS OF NURSE EDUCATION
While female caretakers have existed in some form for millennia, the nursing profession as it is known today has origins in the 18th and 19th centuries. Initially, most care occurred at home or, in the Catholic Church, was provided by esteemed monks, nuns, and deaconesses. With urbanization and industrialization, however, came the need for additional options. Formal education was eventually catalyzed by multiple wars in which female nurses provided desperately needed care to save countless lives.: Florence Nightingale and Volunteers Provide Care During Crimean War
Arguably the most well-known development in both nursing and nursing education, Florence Nightingale’s work during the Crimean War demonstrated the value of female nurses and the need for strict sanitation practices. She and dozens of volunteers were sent to poorly maintained military hospitals by Secretary of War Sidney Herbert in response to shocking stories of inhumane conditions.
1855: The Establishment of the Nightingale Fund
In recognition of Florence Nightingale’s commitment to nursing and contributions to the war efforts in Crimea, several noteworthy individuals worked together to establish the Nightingale Fund. This granted Nightingale £45,000—enough money to establish the first nursing school at St. Thomas Hospital by 1860. The school’s curriculum would largely be based on Nightingale’s 1859 publication Notes on Nursing.
1861: Dorothea Dix Appointed Superintendent of Army Nurses
In the United States, as in Great Britain, it took the devastation of war to bring greater attention to nursing as a profession and the need for targeted nursing education. At this time, war also provided an opportunity for women to prove their capability in high-stakes situations.
1873: Multiple Nursing Schools Founded
A landmark year for nursing education, 1873 saw the founding of several prestigious programs. For example, as the first United States nursing school founded based on Florence Nightingale’s principles, the Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing initially focused on hygiene and patient comfort. Soon, however, the school’s doctors gave lectures on key topics such as anatomy and physiology.
1888: Darius Mills Establishes the First Formal Nursing Program for Men
Misconceptions of nursing as a woman’s work have long plagued the field, but many people are surprised to learn that men have been prominent in the profession since the very beginning. This can be seen with the 1888 establishment of a formal nursing program designed exclusively for men.
1892: First Nursing Class Enrolls at Provident Hospital
As the first training opportunity for African American nurses, Chicago’s Provident Hospital was founded in response to a prominent pastor’s sister being denied admission to the city’s top nursing school due to her race. The project took on a board of trustees, a finance committee, and an executive committee in 1891. The following year, seven women enrolled in the hospital’s first class of nurses.
1896: Nurses Associated Alumnae Assembles
During the late 1800s, several nursing alumni associations formed with hopes of keeping in touch and advancing the nursing profession. In 1896, delegates from several top alumni groups gathered at the Manhattan Beach Hotel to form a national professional association
1900: Chautauqua School of Nursing Founded
Remote learning existed long before online education took over. Initially, learning from afar meant correspondence education. While multiple schools began to offer this option in the early 1900s, the Chautauqua School of Nursing was among the most respected. Founded in New York in 1900, this three-course option focused on general, obstetric, and surgical nursing.
1923: Josephine Goldmark Publishes Forward-Thinking Report on Nursing Education
Nursing education may have taken several important steps forward during the early 1900s, but there was little effort to align the profession with top universities. One key exception? Josephine Goldmark’s Nursing and Nursing Education in the United States, which is often referred to as the Winslow-Goldmark report.
1915: The National League of Nursing Education Presents a Standard Curriculum
As the first professional nursing organization organized by women, the National League of Nursing Education (NLNE) was highly influential during the early 1900s.
1925: Committee on the Grading of Nursing Schools
By the 1920s, many excellent curriculum resources were available, but nursing education still required additional oversight and accountability. Hence, the formation of the Committee on the Grading of Nursing Schools. This group provided a variety of nursing programs with personalized feedback between 1926 and 1934. This helped to pave the way for later accreditation programs.
1943: The Bolton Act Authorizes the Cadet Nurse Corps
Nursing school enrollment increased rapidly during World War II but, initially, not fast enough to provide the number of skilled nurses required on the front—or their equally crucial replacements at home.
1947: NLNE Sets a Goal of Bringing Nursing to Higher Education
Nursing programs expanded rapidly following World War II, but most initially involved diploma schools rather than encouraging aspiring nurses to enroll in community or four-year colleges.
1970: The Lysaught Commission Provides Recommendations for Nursing Education
Following a period of rapid growth for associate nursing programs, the National Commission for the Study of Nursing and Nursing Education (commonly referred to as the Lysaught Commission) recommended statewide planning that would determine how nursing programs would be distributed.
2008: Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education
Nursing education developments in the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s largely focused on the creation of new graduate programs targeted at advanced practice nursing and nurse practitioners.
2010: The Institute of Medicine Releases Report on The Future of Nursing
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine developed a blueprint for the next decade of healthcare practice by publishing The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. This dealt extensively with the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on nursing practice.
2015: OSHA Issues Guidelines to Improve Nurse Safety
From overexertion to workplace violence, a variety of concerns have long placed hardworking nurses at risk. In an effort to address these problems, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a safety memo intended to guide health inspections.
1999-2020: Nurses Ranked the Most Ethical Professionals
With Americans so sharply divided on any number of issues these days, it’s tough to find anything on which they overwhelmingly agree. If there’s one source of connection, however, it’s trust in nurses. Between 1999 and 2020, an annual Gallup survey of the most trusted professions has placed nurses at the top. The only exception? The 2001 survey, in which firefighters took first place.
2020 and Beyond: COVID Transforms Nursing as We Know It
As we’ve seen with nursing in 2020 and 2021, nothing changes health care quite like a pandemic. With the onset of COVID came increased pressure for hardworking nurses. They dealt with long hours, protective equipment shortages, and the stress of a health care system in turmoil. They rose to the occasion, however, adapting to constant changes in professional policies while continuing to provide compassionate care.
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