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National Organization for Public Health Nursing records
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing [Contact Us]Claire Fagin Hall, 418 Curie Boulevard, Floor 2U, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4217
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
By 1910, more than one thousand organizations were employing visiting nurses across the country. Anxious to better direct this new fields development, a Committee on Visiting Nursing of the American Nurses Association was formed. Chaired by Lillian Wald, this group asked the American Nurses Association and the American Society of Superintendents to appoint a committee to study the feasibility of a third nursing organization. The end result was the creation of the National Organization for Public Health Nursing (NOPHN) in June of 1912. This groups encompassed nurses from visiting nurse associations, anti-tuberculosis organizations, rural health agencies, and industrial health units. Unlike their private-duty counterparts, public health nurses concentrated on contagious disease control, screening, and health education in place of bedside care.
The NOPHN was a cooperative effort between nurses and lay people in the promotion of public health. Its objectives were to stimulate responsibility for health of the community by establishment of extensions of visiting nursing and all other forms of public health nursing; to facilitate efficient cooperation between nurses, physicians, boards of trustees, and other persons interested in public health measures; to develop standards of ethics and techniques of public health nursing; to establish and maintain a central bureau for information, reference, and assistance in matters pertaining to such service; and to publish periodicals and issue bulletins from time to time to aid in the general accomplishment of the organization.
Through an anonymous gift, the NOPHN become the first nursing organization to open an office and hire a full-time executive director, Ella Crandall. Additionally, the Visiting Nurse Quarterly, with its one thousand subscribers, advertising contracts, and remaining budget, was given to the new organization. An association of nurses, lay people, and educational and service agencies, the NOPHN for years pursued its agenda of establishing standards for service and education and ultimately community health. Concluding an era in the history of public health nursing, on June 19, 1952, the NOPHN held its last meeting, voting the dissolution of the organization and the transfer of its interests and resources to the newly formed National League for Nursing.
The Center for the Study of the History of Nursing purchased this collection of microfilm from the National Library of Medicine in 1985. The collection consists of 25 microfilm reels (numbered reels 9 through 33). In order to provide greater access to the collection, Center staff examined each reel of film and recorded the information from the title sheets forming part of each reel. Although this information is somewhat crude, it will assist the researcher in finding relevant material.
Acquired from the National Library of Medicine, History of Medicine Division.
Organization
- National Library of Medicine (U.S.). History of Medicine Division.
- National Organization for Public Health Nurses.
Subject
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Center staff, updated by Bethany Myers
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is unrestricted.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Center with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.