NR 393 Week 5 Discussion: Evidence-Based Practice
Changes: With Response
Week 5 Discussion Topic NR 393
There was much progress in nursing during the early to middle part of the 20th century (1900
through the late 1930s). After reading the textbook and the lesson for this week, describe one
area of change in nursing during that time period that intrigues you. Discuss how that area could
be applied today.
In Chapter 8 on Judd & Sitzman, there was a discussion point where the appearance of the nurse
changed due to turbulence received from the nurses. Judd & Sitzman discuss how nurses were to
be obedient and show respect by standing when supervisors and doctors had entered the room to
give orders, and that they would be devoted to the profession where as marriage would be
grounds for dismissal from the hospital. The text mentions “The students had been warned that if
they chose to “bob” their hair, which was then fashionable, they would lose the privilege of
wearing their caps. All of the nursing students cut their hair; when confronted about it they
cooperatively relinquished their caps as well as their uniforms. As this interfered with their
ability to work in the hospital, their uniforms were soon returned. Much to the surprise of the
students, all of the nursing instructors arrived the next week with their own hair ‘bobbed.’ (Judd
& Sitzman, pg. 156). These kinds of changes showed during this time expand on the
determination that the nurses had during the 1920’s, to stand up for what they wanted and not
take restrictions forced on them for being women. The women that went into nursing who did
decide to marry ended up directing their life to being a mother and wife, unlike today where
there are mothers and wives who still work as a nurse both in the hospital and the community
and take care of their families. Judd & Sitzman also elaborate on the colors of uniforms that
originally followed from whatever nursing program they graduated from, and how it eventually
migrated to white uniforms for continuity and easy determination of the role that person had in
the hospital (pg. 157). This aspect of nursing is still utilized today, though we have thrown away
the white uniform, many facilities recognize the importance of identification of role in relation to
color of the team’s uniforms. In my current workplace, we utilize navy blue uniforms for our
nurses, and lavender or grey uniforms for our patient care assistants for ease in distinguishing
roles. In an article called Color Coding Nurse Uniforms, they state “55% of patients report that
brightly colored and patterned scrubs worn by healthcare professionals throughout the hospital
make it difficult for them to identify the RN from other members of the interdisciplinary team”
(Pearce et al., pg.14). By restricting the uniform to a single color, the ability to identify what role
that person plays in the hospital becomes significantly easier for visitors and patients. These
instances interested me because some of these instances are active today, with nurses who color
and cut their hair fashionably to nurses who have tattoos, these instances were not regularly
appropriate in such a professional area of work, yet they are becoming more accepted today, just
like when the nurses bobbed their hair for fashion.
References:
Judd, D., & Sitzman, K. (2014). A history of American nursing: Trends and eras (2nd ed.).
Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Pearce, M., Guidice, M., Kinzey, A., Knight, G., Cassidy, C., Farrell, K., & Hatfield, L. A.
This study source was downloaded by 100000801755870 from CourseHero.com on 03 -19-2022 07:49:42 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/41459188/Week-5-Discussion-Topic-NR-393docx/
Changes: With Response
Week 5 Discussion Topic NR 393
There was much progress in nursing during the early to middle part of the 20th century (1900
through the late 1930s). After reading the textbook and the lesson for this week, describe one
area of change in nursing during that time period that intrigues you. Discuss how that area could
be applied today.
In Chapter 8 on Judd & Sitzman, there was a discussion point where the appearance of the nurse
changed due to turbulence received from the nurses. Judd & Sitzman discuss how nurses were to
be obedient and show respect by standing when supervisors and doctors had entered the room to
give orders, and that they would be devoted to the profession where as marriage would be
grounds for dismissal from the hospital. The text mentions “The students had been warned that if
they chose to “bob” their hair, which was then fashionable, they would lose the privilege of
wearing their caps. All of the nursing students cut their hair; when confronted about it they
cooperatively relinquished their caps as well as their uniforms. As this interfered with their
ability to work in the hospital, their uniforms were soon returned. Much to the surprise of the
students, all of the nursing instructors arrived the next week with their own hair ‘bobbed.’ (Judd
& Sitzman, pg. 156). These kinds of changes showed during this time expand on the
determination that the nurses had during the 1920’s, to stand up for what they wanted and not
take restrictions forced on them for being women. The women that went into nursing who did
decide to marry ended up directing their life to being a mother and wife, unlike today where
there are mothers and wives who still work as a nurse both in the hospital and the community
and take care of their families. Judd & Sitzman also elaborate on the colors of uniforms that
originally followed from whatever nursing program they graduated from, and how it eventually
migrated to white uniforms for continuity and easy determination of the role that person had in
the hospital (pg. 157). This aspect of nursing is still utilized today, though we have thrown away
the white uniform, many facilities recognize the importance of identification of role in relation to
color of the team’s uniforms. In my current workplace, we utilize navy blue uniforms for our
nurses, and lavender or grey uniforms for our patient care assistants for ease in distinguishing
roles. In an article called Color Coding Nurse Uniforms, they state “55% of patients report that
brightly colored and patterned scrubs worn by healthcare professionals throughout the hospital
make it difficult for them to identify the RN from other members of the interdisciplinary team”
(Pearce et al., pg.14). By restricting the uniform to a single color, the ability to identify what role
that person plays in the hospital becomes significantly easier for visitors and patients. These
instances interested me because some of these instances are active today, with nurses who color
and cut their hair fashionably to nurses who have tattoos, these instances were not regularly
appropriate in such a professional area of work, yet they are becoming more accepted today, just
like when the nurses bobbed their hair for fashion.
References:
Judd, D., & Sitzman, K. (2014). A history of American nursing: Trends and eras (2nd ed.).
Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Pearce, M., Guidice, M., Kinzey, A., Knight, G., Cassidy, C., Farrell, K., & Hatfield, L. A.
This study source was downloaded by 100000801755870 from CourseHero.com on 03 -19-2022 07:49:42 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/41459188/Week-5-Discussion-Topic-NR-393docx/
