Post-Civil War modernity and the nurse training movement: The "Experiment" of the Boston Training School for Nurses

This paper describes the origins of the Boston Training School for Nurses (1873), later named the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, and the role played by a Boston civic group, the Woman's Education Association, in its founding.

Social and political forces in the post-Civil War modern era and the challenges the founders encountered in establishing and managing a nursing school are delineated.

Themes that highlight the significance of the Boston Training School's creation relative to the nurse training movement in America are identified.

The long-term implications of the initial agreement for a 1-year experiment to train nurses in a formal educational setting are discussed.