title: Using nursing history to inform decision-making: Infectious diseases at the turn of the 20th century.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This historical paper examines the impact of infectious diseases on the urban poor of Chicago and New York a century ago, before most vaccines were developed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Working on the front lines of health promotion and health care, nurses and other providers are charged with informing the public about offered vaccines. The intent of this paper is to supplement providers' knowledge about vaccination with an appreciation of the devastation these diseases once caused.
  
  
  METHODS
  Historical methodology guided this study in which archival and oral sources were used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The continued outbreaks of smallpox at the turn of the twentieth century, when a vaccine was available, may be compared with the re-emergence of measles today. Additionally, this paper shows the devastation caused by other, non-preventable, infections of the period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of the history related to the impact of infectious diseases, especially the role nurses played in decision-making related to care, is critical for today's health care providers.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: bmlusk@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Brigid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lusk
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Arlene W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.affiliation: Pace University, College of Health Related Professions, Lienhard School of Nursing, Pleasantville, NY.
authors.forename: Sandra B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lewenson
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000451:nursing*; D003657:Decision Making; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history; D006293:Health Promotion; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D017053:Infection Control / Q000266:history; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D011050:Policy Making; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D012900:Smallpox Vaccine; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine; D012900:Smallpox Vaccine
keywords: Diphtheria; Epidemics; History; Measles; Public health; Quarantine; Smallpox; Typhoid fever; Vaccination; Visiting nurses