The History of Nursing Training
As nurses attended to troops injured in the Civil War (1861-1865), the need for trained nurses became clear. The work of one particular Civil War nurse, known as Clara Barton, stood out from the rest. Miss Barton, who was instrumental in founding the American Red Cross as well as developing nursing in America, was stationed as a patent clerk in the war. Seeing the urgency for attending to the medical needs of troops, Americans soon realized that nursing training should be done in an organized manner to provide the best care possible for all patients.
Early Training in Hospitals
Nurses were first trained within the context of hospitals. Under the supervision of superior nurses, they learned from trial and error. The New England Hospital for Women and Children provided the first hospital training program for nurses in 1872. Other cities such as New Haven, Boston and New York followed, setting up training schools. Although these programs helped in the operation of hospitals, they lacked in educational training. While working long hours with not much free time for rest or meals, nurses were responsible for cleaning beds, patients, laundry, medical equipment and rooms. As a result, nurses had scattered skills and there was a high mortality rate.
The Army Nurse Corps
By the dawn of the 20th century, there was a need for formal nursing training schools. In 1901, the United States Congress authorized the Army Nurse Corps for nurses to be trained in different life-saving methods for helping wounded soldiers heal. As the threat of infection ran rampant, it was crucial to provide education for preventing more disease from spreading. Acknowledging the Army Nurse Corps made nursing more prominent and started other events that forever changed the future of nursing education in America.
Columbia University
With its well-planned nursing program, Columbia University was one of the first universities to train nurses. In fact, the university still offers the oldest program in nursing midwifery and was the first school (since 1956) for offering master's degrees in clinical specialty for nurses. Columbia also led the way for nursing schools having admitting privileges at local teaching hospitals.
Yale University Nursing Program
Yale University became the first independent nursing school in 1923. Although Yale College only admitted men at the time, the Yale Nursing School admitted women. In 1925 the school set up a Bachelor of Science in nursing, requiring applicants to finish two years of college education before applying to their nursing school, setting the highest academic requirements during that period of time. The standards were raised in 1934, requiring an undergraduate bachelor's degree.
University of Michigan Nursing Program
Although the University of Michigan didn't have an autonomous nursing school, it graduated six students in 1893. Then, in 1919, the school started offering a five-year program, resulting in a Bachelor of Letters degree and a nursing diploma. The University of Michigan offered a five-year Bachelor of Science degree by 1944, including two years in studies in arts, literature and sciences, besides three years of nursing training. This university was one of the first schools to offer concurrent nursing and academic education programs.
Modern Nursing Schools
Today there are hundreds of nursing schools located in every state. Contemporary nursing schools offer advanced programs, giving nurses more skills for advancing their careers and caring for patients. Nurse practitioners, along with midwives, help patients and doctors. Many entry-level nursing programs are also available for helping students decide if nursing is a suitable career for them. Besides nursing, other programs offered in schools include licensed practical nurse, certified nurse assistant, licensed vocational nurse and advanced practice nurse. Programs are also available for training to be a clinical nurse specialist.
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