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Early to mid-1800s
Physicians begin scattered efforts to “train” low-status women to assist them with menial tasks. -
1889-1900:
By the turn of the century, there are over 400 hospital-based nursing schools in the U.S. There is no standardization: programs range from six months to two years in length and each hospital sets its own curriculum and requirements. These schools exist primarily to staff the hospitals that operate them. -
1902
Ellen Dougherty of New Zealand becomes the world’s first Registered Nurse on February 10 -
1909
The University of Minnesota School for Nurses becomes the first university-based nurse training program. It awards a baccalaureate degree to students that complete a three-year program. -
1923
The Yale School of Nursing becomes the first autonomous school of nursing in the United States with its own dean, faculty, budget, and degree meeting standards within Yale University. The curriculum is based on an educational plan rather than on hospital service needs. -
1948
The Carnegie Foundations studies nursing education and publishes the Brown Report, again recommending that nursing schools be placed in academic settings rather than hospitals. Regardless, hospital-based diploma programs continue to be the norm, training the vast majority of American nurses and focusing on filling open nursing positions. -
1951
The LPN/LVN category of nurses is created in the United States by the National Association for Practical Nurse Education, in conjunction with professional nursing associations and the U.S. Department of Education -
1952
A project at Columbia University introduces the concept of two-year, associate degree nursing programs as a research-based plan to test this new education model. The curriculum is composed of half nursing classes and half general-education classes, with clinical experiences gained in the community. -
1954
One of the first PhD programs in nursing is offered at the University of Pittsburgh. It continues to this day -
1956
The Columbia University School of Nursing is the first in the U.S. to grant a master’s degree in a clinical nursing specialty -
1965
The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role is formed by a nurse educator and a physician at the University of Colorado. Over time, it becomes an increasingly popular and important segment of advanced nursing practice -
1976
The Nurses’ Health Study begins, and continues to this day. It is one of the largest and longest-running programs of health research anywhere, and has yielded valuable insights about the links between diet, lifestyle and disease prevention, among many other findings -
1990
The Department of Health and Human Services creates a commission to address the national nursing shortage. Fears of worsening shortages put a damper on efforts to require the BSN as entry to professional practice. -
2003-2008
Several studies demonstrate that patient outcomes improve when a higher percentage of nurses on staff hold a BSN -
2010
The Institute of Medicine issues a landmark report called The Future of Nursing, which compiles extensive research to back its recommendations for all nurses to attain higher levels of education. It calls for 80 percent of the nursing workforce to hold a BSN degree by 2020. -
2012
New York and New Jersey consider controversial legislation known colloquially as the “BSN in 10” law. It would require ADN-prepared nurses to obtain a bachelor’s degree within ten years of entering nursing practice. Again, fears of a looming nursing shortage prevent the BSN from becoming a national standard for entry level practice. By this time, however, many employers are stating a preference for BSN-holding nurses and creating incentives for nurses to go back to school. -
2020
Registered Nursing is one of the top occupations for job growth through 2028, expected to grow by 12% (much faster than average). The BLS reports 371,500 new RN jobs will be added by the year 2028 -