Abstract

In 1956, the Alexian Brothers Hospital School of Nursing (ABHSoN), an all-male school housed in an all-male hospital, received a letter from a graduate stating that he was denied reciprocity in the State of Michigan for a lack of obstetrical nursing experience. The School began a survey to determine the need for establishing an obstetric affiliation so that the future graduates would not encounter this problem. While male students studied maternity nursing, in Illinois, they were not required to have an obstetrical clinical experience, nor were they required to take the maternity portion of the state licensing examination. Using the Midwest Nursing History Research Center Archives and the Alexian Brothers Provincial Archives, this study explores the decision to offer obstetrical clinical placements before it was mandated by the Illinois Board of Nursing. Oral history interviews with graduates provides insight into their varied experiences in the maternity wards.

Author Details

Susan A. LaRocco, PhD, MBA, RN, CNE, FNAP, Professor and Dean

Sigma Membership

Mu Epsilon, Theta at-Large

Lead Author Affiliation

Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New York, USA

Type

Presentation-Oral Standard Event

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Historical

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Male Nurses, Student Clinical Experiences, Nursing History

Conference Name

Midwest Nursing History Research Center Archives Annual Lecture

Conference Host

Midwest Nursing History Research Center Archives

Conference Location

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Conference Year

2019

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Self-submission

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Obstetrical nursing clinical experiences at an all male nursing school in the 1950s

Chicago, Illinois, USA

In 1956, the Alexian Brothers Hospital School of Nursing (ABHSoN), an all-male school housed in an all-male hospital, received a letter from a graduate stating that he was denied reciprocity in the State of Michigan for a lack of obstetrical nursing experience. The School began a survey to determine the need for establishing an obstetric affiliation so that the future graduates would not encounter this problem. While male students studied maternity nursing, in Illinois, they were not required to have an obstetrical clinical experience, nor were they required to take the maternity portion of the state licensing examination. Using the Midwest Nursing History Research Center Archives and the Alexian Brothers Provincial Archives, this study explores the decision to offer obstetrical clinical placements before it was mandated by the Illinois Board of Nursing. Oral history interviews with graduates provides insight into their varied experiences in the maternity wards.