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Profiles in NursingVirginia A. Henderson (1897–1996), Wrote the Book on Modern NursingThe 20th century’s answer to Florence NightingaleNursing care is more than performing a series of tasks — it is a holistic focus on restoring a patient’s health and independence. This once-revolutionary concept is just one of the core elements of nursing practice articulated by Virginia Henderson, a...
Profiles in NursingLouisa May Alcott (1832–1888), From “Hospital Sketches” to “Little Women”A beloved writer, she was also a Civil War nurse, staunch abolitionist and suffragetteBefore achieving fame for her literary accomplishments, Little Women author Louisa May Alcott served as a nurse during the Civil War. Although ill health forced her into premature retirement, her experiences as a nurse and a patient shaped her voice as a...
Feature130 Years of Anesthesia NursingThe origins and rocky history of nursing’s most controversial specialtyThe nurses who provide anesthesia to surgical, obstetrical and pain management patients today follow in the footsteps of some of the most outspoken and technically adept members of the nursing profession. Thanks to their efforts, certified registered...

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Profiles in NursingCol. Julia Stimson (1881–1948), Army Nurse Corps SuperintendentA decorated officer, she led 20,000 nurses during WWIOnce the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. Armed Forces, Julia Catherine Stimson, RN, served her country as a nurse, a social worker and a leader — including an 18-year tenure as superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps, the longest term in the Corps'...
Profiles in NursingMartha Ballard (1735-1812), Colonial Midwife and DiaristHer remarkable diary reveals a legacy of nursing in 18th century AmericaShe lived and died before Florence Nightingale was even born, but Martha Ballard’s diary still survives, providing us with a remarkable record of the lives of pioneer women and the practice of midwifery during the earliest years of the United States....
FeatureWhen Nurses Smoked in HospitalsIn years past, there was an ashtray on every patient nightstand, nurses lit up in break rooms, and doctors and nurses were featured in cigarette adsAn attractive young woman in a crisp, white vintage nurse’s uniform and cap smiles up at the reader, dangling a lit cigarette between her fingers. Printed above her is a boldface slogan: “You like them FRESH? So do I!” Although the copy for this...

Nursing Education

FeatureHospital RomanceIn pop culture, nurses find love, marriage and passion at work. Here is the real story.SCENE: After resuscitating a car crash victim, handsome doctor Doug Ross (George Clooney) and attractive head nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) embrace — and soon find themselves sharing their first kiss. “I shouldn’t have,” whispers...
FeatureNursing History in PostersFor the past century, images of nurses were used in public health initiatives, wartime propaganda and cigarette advertisingPosters have punch. They have color. And, where they depict nurses and nursing, they provide an important historical record of the many changes that have taken place since Florence Nightingale first tried to bring respect to a once-disreputable...
Nursing Book ClubIn Love and War Movie ReviewA WWI biopic about American nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky and a young Ernest HemingwayIn Love and War is a 1996 film based on the real-life romance between a young Ernest Hemingway and Agnes Von Kurowsky, the nurse who treated him after he was wounded during the First World War. The film was produced and directed by actor-director...

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