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Utah's Foremost Platform for Undergraduate Research Presentation
2021 Abstracts

Early Twentieth Century Transition from Student Nurse to Registered Nurse Service in Hospitals and Effects on Patient Care

Presenters: Emma Beaumont, College of Nursing, Nursing
Authors: Emma Beaumont, Katelin Peterson, Sheri Tesseyman
Faculty Advisor: Sheri Tesseyman, College of Nursing, Nursing
Institution: Brigham Young University

Research question: What were the changes that occurred in hospital beside care with the shift from student nurse service to graduate nurse service from the 1920s to the 1950s? Findings: In the early twentieth century, nursing education began to shift from the hospital setting to formal institutional education. Although it was beneficial for the profession, this transformation greatly impacted the hospital structure. With the transition from primary hospital training in educational institutions, nursing students were replaced with graduate students in hospitals. This necessitated a revised structure of hospital supervision as graduate nurses did not feel that they required the same degree of supervision that undergraduate students relied on. Students were taught to be attentive to the details of basic patient care, as it was an integral part of their training. Graduate nurses were less flexible in their routines of providing patient care, desired less supervision of their work, and viewed basic patient care as student nurse duties and were not as willing to complete the work themselves. Thus, out of necessity, untrained attendants were hired to perform the minor nursing duties that students had previously provided. This transition led to a new form of nursing called “functional nursing”, where patient care was divided and compartmentalized among a variety of hospital team members. Implications for Nursing: Our current nursing structure has been shaped by historical changes. The way we provide nursing care today may not be the most beneficial to patients. Looking at these issues from a historical perspective allows us to question our assumptions and enhances our ability to provide better patient care. Conclusion: The shift from student to graduate nurse service caused changes in supervision of bedside patient care in hospitals which negatively impacted the quality of patient care.