The Chautauqua Nurses: Testimonies Illustrate Value for an Early 20th Century Correspondence Course in Nursing
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Overview of the topic: This paper examines the graduates of the Chautauqua School of Nursing (CSN), a sustained yet controversial, early 20th century correspondence course in nursing. Through exploration of the reported personal and professional situations of the students, the reasons for choosing to enroll in the correspondence course will be described. The graduates explanations of how they utilized their new theoretical knowledge of nursing will also be discussed. Examinations of what the CSN offered students and how graduates used the knowledge to provide nursing care will further reveal the place and space for the correspondence courses in nursing education history. Historiographical literature on the topic: Establishment of CSN occurred when hospital training schools were the typical expected education pathway to enter professional nursing practice as a trained nurse. The CSN correspondence course was advertised as a means to become a trained nurse without attending a hospital training school. Correspondence courses have routinely received negative mention or no mention in the nursing history narrative. At the turn of the 21st century, CSN received positive mention within a few publications for its innovative approach to educate nurses; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the educational quality of the CSN correspondence course has not been published to date. Methods: This historical study was carried out using a social history framework. Primary sources, including course lessons, examinations, correspondence, advertisements, published testimonies, textbooks, and lecture notes, were used from the Archives of the Foundation of the New York State Nurses Association, Bellevue Alumnae Center for Nursing History; the Fenton Historical Society; and the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Secondary sources, including historical and contemporary professional journal articles, and analytical books on the subject, validated, enhanced, and confirmed findings. Summary and Implications: The curriculum of the CSN provided a quality theoretical foundation for nursing practice in the early 20th century for the disciplined, motivated, and literate student. Personal and professional situations including age, gender, marital status, dependents, geographic location, religious affiliation, earning needs, limited physical stamina, personal desires and low degrees of resilience encouraged students to enroll in the CSN. Students reported enrolling to better care for family, obtain work as a nurse, or supplement hospital training school preparation. Graduates reported working as a nurse in diverse settings and geographical areas. CSN provided graduates an opportunity to enhance their earning power as a nurse. With strong theoretical nursing knowledge, graduates provided nursing care to improve the health of their families and communities. Student testimonies demonstrate the value of the CSN and encourages a place and space for the CSN within the nursing education history narrative.
