nursing schools in 1900

Before the beginning of the 20th century, women who wanted to be nurses had to choose between one of two options.

In 1900, if you were a woman and wanted to be a nurse, you could choose between one of two options. Either way, you would be working for free.

Your first option was to work as a nurse’s aide in a hospital. If your family had money and connections, this might not be too bad of an option—you’d probably learn the job on the go and have plenty of good contacts in the field once you’d served your apprenticeship. However, if your family didn’t have money or connections, things would likely be less pleasant—you’d have to work extremely long hours for little pay (if any) and there wouldn’t necessarily be anyone around to teach you anything about nursing.

If this didn’t appeal to you, your other option was attending a nursing school. These were still not very common at the beginning of the 20th century: only twenty-five states had them. (New York’s Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing started in 1873.) Even these schools differed widely: some were set up by religious groups; others were run by hospitals; some were privately funded by philanthropists like John D Rockefeller or Florence Nightingale (the famous English reformer). The most famous nursing school at this time was Nightingale School of Nursing in London; it opened in 1860 under Nightingale’s leadership and inspired many other schools across Europe and America to start up similar institutions.

Nurses lived in residences and followed strict schedules that involved long hours.

Nurses lived in residences and followed rigid schedules that involved long hours. You spent three or four hours a day on lectures, at least 12 hours a day on hospital duty, and had no time for socializing or recreation. You were expected to adhere to strict rules not only in the classroom but also within the hospital setting. Your conduct was closely monitored by instructors and head nurses, who often reported inappropriate behavior to your family members.

The schools were known for following a specific regimen of study, rather than focusing on patient care.

To become a nurse in 1900, you had to be trained by one of the few schools that existed at the time. These schools were known for following a specific regimen of studies, rather than focusing on patient care. Students were taught to follow a strict schedule, which included rest and exercise. They also learned about the effect of diet and exercise on patients’ health. Nurses were taught to observe their patients carefully, noting any changes in mood or behavior. They also learned about the effects of environment on health, such as cleanliness and lighting levels.

Some nightingale’s students became famous nurses, such as Mary Seacole, who tended to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.

Mary Seacole (1805–1881) was a British business woman and nurse who set up the “British Hotel” behind the lines during the Crimean War.[33] She described this as “a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers”,[34] and provided succour for wounded servicemen on the battlefield, and others too ill to move.[35][36] However, due to her mixed race heritage she was not accepted by the Sanitary Commission led by Florence Nightingale which had been set up in 1854,[37] but went independently to the Crimea. Her treatments of cholera were renowned. She published her autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands,[38] in 1857. She had a close friendship with fellow nurse Francesca Wilson.[39

After attending nursing school at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Clara Barton became the founder of the American Red Cross.

After attending nursing school at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Clara Barton became the founder of the American Red Cross.

She was born in 1821 and went on to become a co-founder of the American Red Cross. She did not attend college, but she did become a teacher in Georgia and Massachusetts before becoming a nurse. She is honored by having many schools and hospitals named after her today.

Some influential women of the time, such as Louisa May Alcott and Jane Addams, took care of sick and injured people but didn’t attend nursing school.

During this time, some influential women of the time such as Louisa May Alcott and Jane Addams took care of sick and injured people. These women were philanthropists, volunteers, and nurses. However, these women were not professionally trained nurses.

These schools taught a variety of courses including dietetics, hygiene and home medicine.

Hygiene, dietetics and home medicine were standard courses in all nursing schools. But the schools also offered a variety of other courses, including history, philosophy and ethics. Students were permitted to choose their own courses of study if they wished to do so. Some schools had special areas of specialization like pediatrics or mental health. They may offer specific course topics such as pharmacology or geriatrics.

Nursing was not a career choice that was open to many women in 1900 United States.

If you wanted to become a nurse in 1900, your options basically boiled down to two things: Nurse or Unpaid Nurse. In the United States, nursing school was not an option that was open to many women in the early days of medicine. There were very few nursing schools, and they were only open to a select few. By 1900, almost all of the hospitals had residency programs, but these programs were not degree granting (like they are today). Only nine out of one thousand women earned their degrees as nurses by 1900 (Wynbrandt). This was not because it wasn’t a popular choice among women; rather, it was because most people did not think that a degree in nursing was necessary to be considered qualified for the job.

That being said, there were still plenty of opportunities for nurses with more than just on-the-job training. If you could get into one of these prestigious schools, your diploma would make you eligible for more important roles at hospitals (Wynbrandt). The curriculum taught skills like sterilization and disease prevention that could prepare you for an array of careers outside of nursing. The early years also provided valuable experience working with doctors and other medical professionals who would likely have been able to help you find work elsewhere if needed (Wynbrandt).