Presenters: Sheri Tesseyman ; Rachel Schmidt
Authors: Rachel Schmidt, Melody Lee
Faculty Advisor: Sheri Tesseyman
Institution: Brigham Young University
“Group Nursing,” a crucial turning point in nursing practice Introduction Group nursing was a common method of caring for hospital patients in the early 20th century, but little is currently known about it. The purpose of this research was to describe group nursing and understand its significance in the development of nursing practice. Methods We did qualitative analysis of primary data regarding group nursing from professional nursing journals, Trained Nurse and Hospital Reviewand American Journal of Nursing, official publications from the National League of Nursing Education and the American Hospital Association from 1920 to 1949, and contemporary practice reports. Outcomes and implications Group nursing consisted of an autonomous graduate nurse caring for two or three hospitalized patients. The patients hired the nurse from a registry. At the time, student nurses provided nearly all bedside nursing care, and middle class patients appreciated the option to have graduate nurse care at a reasonable cost. Group nursing was popular, but also posed challenges. When nurse leaders urged general replacement of student nurse service with graduate nurse service early in the 20th century, they needed to choose between group nursing and general staff nursing. In general staff nursing, graduate nurses are hospital employees. General staff nursing was chosen, and group nursing disappeared. Graduate nurse autonomy waned as RNs became hospital employees. Lack of nursing autonomy has been attributed to hospitals and physicians (Ashley, 1976; Group & Roberts, 2001; Kagan, 2006). This research clarifies nurses' choices as a factor in moving from independent practice to institutional employment. Ashley, J. (1976)Hospitals, paternalism, and the role of the nurse. Teachers College Press. Group, T. and Roberts, J. (2001) Nursing, physician control, and the medical monopoly, Indiana University Press. Kagan, P. (2006) “Jo Ann Ashley 30 years later: Legacy for practice,” Nursing Science Quarterly, 19:4