Are nursing and agency responsibilities of the 1920s still relevant today?

Abstract

Editor’s Note:The Henry Street Settlement in New York City was one of the first Visiting Nurse Associations in the United States. We all should be familiar with the work of Lillian Wald, the first administrator of Henry Street, whose pioneering efforts provided the foundation of our current home care nursing practice. The following excerpts are from the VNA’s original orientation and policy manual published in 1928. To follow our theme—The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same—as you read the responsibilities of the nurses from 1921 to 1928, reflect on your current practice and the approaches that work well with your patients. You will see it’s not just PPS that changed the way we currently practice. It’s mainly that in the 1980s and 1990s we strayed from our history and practice foundations. In this new decade and century it’s helpful to review our past. You will see the brilliance of Lillian Wald and her colleagues—their practices have stood the test of time. How proud we should be of our home care nursing foremothers!