History of Nursing Schools in the U.S
The history of Nursing Schools in the United States has taken a long stride to reach where it is today. Today, a degree of nursing is provided by the university schools. There are many universities that are offering nursing courses at various levels. And these levels range from diploma to doctorate.
History of Nursing Schools in United States:
In the United States Yale School of Nursing is considered as the first university to have conferred the first degree in nursing. If this was in the year 1923; records establish that Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing is the first school of nursing established way back in the year 1873. Technically both of them have their own claim to be the first.
A clearer picture can be adopted upon the study of chronology of nursing schools in the United States.
Chronology of Nursing Schools in the US:
- 1873: Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing becomes the first school of nursing in the US that is founded on the ‘Principles of Nursing’ as established by Florence Nightingale. However, this school was closed in 1969.
- 1886: Spelman Seminary establishes the first nursing program in the US specifically for African-Americans
- 1889: Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in consultation with the Florence Nightingale becomes the very first nursing schools established in the US. The University of Minnesota becomes the first University based on nursing program.
- 1893: Lillian Wald, the founder of Visiting Nursing in US starts teaching home class on nursing.
- 1918: LPN/LVN level of nursing was created in the US
- 1923: Yale School of Nursing becomes the first autonomous school of nursing in the United States with its own dean, faculty, budget and degree. Moreover, the Yale School of Nursing also established curriculum based on educational plan rather than on the hospital service needs.
- 1956: Columbia University becomes the first University to confer a Masters Degree in a Clinical Nursing Specialty.
- 2004: The AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) recommends that all the nurses seeking to be treated as ‘Nurse Practitioners’ must earn a PhD in Nursing.
Today, in the US the following courses are offered by almost all the Schools/University:
- Diploma in Nursing
- Associate of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Master of Science in Nursing
- Doctor of Nursing Science
Irrespective of what the history of nursing schools in the US say; today, in the United States, graduates coming out of the nursing colleges are qualified either to become ‘Licensed Practical Nurses’ (LPNs) or the ‘Registered Nurse’ (RN) by taking the NCLEX-PN/NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination) examination.
