Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the ideals promoted in two major nursing journals, the AJN and RN, from 1940 through 1960. A thematic analysis of both journals was conducted. This analysis revealed that the AJN consistently represented the viewpoint of the ANA and the "elite" of nursing. It reflected the thrust toward professionalization desired by the nursing leaders. RN, on the other hand, represented the views of the rank and file of nursing. It reflected their more practical concerns. This difference was most pronounced in the conflict between the ideals of service and self-interest and in the debate over education. This schism led to a growing distrust and adversity between the two groups which was mirrored in the debate over ideals. Both the debate and the schisms exist to this day. The twenty-one years from 1940 to 1960 were a time of change and upheaval in nursing. Some ideals, such as patriotism and volunteerism, flared briefly, then died out. Others, such as tolerance, intelligence, and reverence for life, grew and flourished. Still others, such as service, self-interest, and appropriate education, were the focus of a civil war within nursing. The development of those ideals and ideals related to standards, democracy, research, and desired character traits was traced in both nursing journals. The Code of Ethics was also analyzed as a repository of ideals both explicit and implicit. The ideals preached to and by nurses were very much congruent with the attitudes of the general society toward women and with the needs of women to maintain an adequate standard of living. Since these two factors often conflicted, so ideals were found to conflict also. Parallels are drawn between the ideals found in the literature and the conditions of women in American society at the time.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 8611698; ProQuest document ID: 303489927. The author still retains copyright.

Lembi Saarmann

Author Details

Lembi Saarmann, EdD, MS, BS, RN

Sigma Membership

Gamma Gamma

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Historical

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Nursing, Nursing History, American Journal of Nursing (AJN)

Advisor

Elizabeth M. Maloney

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

Columbia University

Degree Year

1986

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2019-03-01

Full Text of Presentation

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