Hello,

I am a first year nursing student who is having a little trouble with an assignment that I am doing. The question I have to answer is "how have feminists contributed to the discipline of nursing?" If you have any information or any good websites that I could visit, that would be greatly appreciated.

Libby

Dear Libby,

I think that different feminist have contributed to nursing in new and different ways. In general, I think that feminists have one, tried to make nursing a career that gets the respect and compensation that it deserves; and, two, make nursing a humane profession - with benefits, good hours, etc. Also, historically nursing was a male profession, so the fact that is has been opened up to women is no doubt a feminist accomplishment.

In the Readers Companion to US Women's History, there is a section on nursing, which talks about women lobbying for formal nursing training, the creation of the American Nurses Association and the entry, but first barring, of black women from the nursing profession. I hope that helps - good luck.

Amy