Women, nursing, and baccalaureate education in 20th century America.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the social meaning of the American system of education for nursing practice.


METHODS
Historiographical analysis to compare and contrast the relative educational level of different self-reported groups of American women with that of nurses in the later decades of the 20th century.


RESULTS
Early 20th century social support for efforts to improve the overall educational level of some nurses planning careers in education, administration, or public health nursing lent credence to the belief in nursing as a vehicle for upward social mobility. This promise of mobility was particularly apparent in the educational backgrounds of African American, Hispanic, and Asian American nurses. However, the late 20th century decreased average educational level of U.S. nurses relative to that of all U.S. women jeopardizes the clinical and social roles of the profession.


CONCLUSIONS
The language of class and community status is needed in addition to that of science, knowledge development, and clinical excellence to increase social and political support for educational initiatives.
D'Antonio
Patricia
P
University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA. dantonio@nursing.upenn.edu
D001741:Black or African American / Q000266:history; D001213:Asian / Q000266:history; D002321:Career Choice; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000266:history*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000266:history; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000266:history*; D012660:Semantics; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000266:history; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000266:history*; D014931:Women, Working / Q000266:history*