A Century of Caring: The Health Sciences at the University of Iowa, 1850-1950: College of Nursing
History of Student Nursing at Iowa
| Nursing education at the University of Iowa began in 1898, when both the University Hospital and the Training School for Nurses opened. Students performed many tasks beyond caring for patients. They swept and mopped floors, gathered coal, filled kerosene lamps, and cleaned chimneys. |
71. Electric cabinet, Courtesy of the Heritage Room Collection, University of Iowa College of Nursing |
Student conduct was strictly monitored. Emma Randell, a member of the first nursing class, remembers, "[We were] fined 50 cents if we left pins in our clothing when we sent it to the laundry, and we were not allowed to talk in the halls or read mail when on duty. Neither were we permitted to talk with the patients." A student nurse dress code was always enforced, and |
| one director of the School of Nursing, Mary Haarer, was known to inspect students' uniforms regularly. Each young woman was required to lift her skirt slightly to prove she was wearing a petticoat. The students were not permitted to go downtown in uniform. |
The first nursing class, of five students, graduated in 1900. Upon completion of the two-year course, students became eligible to take the examination for nurses' registration given by the State Board of Examiners. In 1907, the state legislature passed the Iowa Nurse Practice Act, which established standards for nursing education. The School of Nursing received accreditation the following year, and has been accredited ever since. |
72. Nursing class, 1920, courtesy of the University of Iowa Archives |
| Eleven women served as superintendent of the School of Nursing between 1898 and 1927, when Lois Blanche Corder assumed the post. During her 20-year tenure, the program was expanded from two to three years. In addition to classes, students spent several weeks in each of the hospital departments, gaining experience in all aspects of patient care. In exchange for these services, which could consume up to twelve hours a day, students received room, board, tuition, and an additional five dollars a month. In 1931, work hours were reduced to eight, except in emergencies. |
73. Westlawn, c.1928 |
In 1949, the School of Nursing was reorganized as the College of Nursing. Students were given the option of a four-year program that included elective courses in the liberal arts and led to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). |
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