From hand maiden to right hand--the birth of nursing in America

AT THE ONSET of the American Civil War, women were asked to leave their homes and serve as suppliers and caregivers for the armies on both sides of the conflict. MANY WOMEN suddenly found themselves in situations that required real strength, stamina, and fortitude, and some found an inner strength as they organized others to provide care. WOMEN LIKE Dorthea Dix and Clara Barton were among the first to champion the ability of and the need for women to provide nursing care, which until then had been a male bastion. THIS ARTICLE, which is the second in a two-part series on nursing during the Civil War, tells how Dorthea Dix, Clara Barton, and other women worked to establish nursing as a viable career choice for women in the United States.