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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Deborah Sampson, RN, CRNP, MSN, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-386-9253, dsampson@nursing.upenn.edu
Much has been written about the Children's Bureau programs funded by the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921 but little has been explored about how the Act affected public health nursing practice and education. This paper considers how Sheppard-Towner Act appropriations provided a foundation of opportunity for public health nursing practice and education. These opportunities are the basis for public health nursing practices and education today. Within official Sheppard-Towner Act program auspices, nursing care was provided only under physician direction and independent nursing practice was not publicly sanctioned. The reality was that public health nurses frequently acted independently, often substituting for physicians, and provided 'medical' care in spite of the Children's Bureau official rhetoric. Thus, there is evidence that 80 years ago, like today, professional nurses provided many aspects of medical care, usually reserved for physicians. Sheppard-Towner funds also provided nurses with educational benefits when federal funding were made available to provide nursing education in academic settings for the specific purpose of preparing nurses for public health nursing practice. This historical perspective provides a context for understanding the important role of federal appropriations in furthering professional nursing in public health venues.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Federal Initiatives, Public Health Nursing
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.