The historic origins of nursing centers

The four examples presented are representative of nursing service organizations at the turn of the century that fit our current definition of nursing center. They share commonalities that led to their creation and continuation. These nursing centers were created to respond to a recognized need: There was a clientele that was not being served; the clientele served were generally poor, of low socioeconomic status; and income generation (money) was not a motivating factor for the nurses. There was a strong leader for each center who championed the cause and took the risks, and these centers were all very successful at what they set out to do. It is interesting to note that the commonalities from the turn of the century can also be applied to the 1980s. Using this history to refresh our memory can help us build on the strong base that these early nursing centers provided.