The emergence of liberal education in nursing education, 1893 to 1923

This is a study of the liberal education theme in nursing education as articulated in nursing literature from 1893 to 1923. The major questions addressed are: What did nurse educators believe to be the nature of liberal education? What did they believe would be the effect of a liberal education on the profession of nursing? To what extent did the articulation of the beliefs regarding liberal education parallel the development of collegiate-level nursing programs? The resources for this study are viewed in a historical and philosophical context, relating education beliefs, beliefs about professions, and the development of nursing education. The materials used for research include literature published in the major nursing journals of the time, proceedings of the national professional organizations for nursing practice and education, and major studies of nursing by various committees and commissions. The writings of nurse educators were examined for central themes. The study concludes that nurse educators believed the purposes of a liberal education for nurses were to foster the development of the individual, to prepare the individual for citizenship, to provide the individual with a broad knowledge base, and to develop the individual's critical thinking and judgment skills. Practitioners of nursing with these attributes would increase the credibility of nursing's claim to professional status. Although nurse educators believed that institutions of higher education were the logical sites for professional nursing education, the development of collegiate-level educational programs that incorporated a general education as part of the program of study for nursing lagged behind the articulation of beliefs.