"The Northeaster", March/April 1999

Dublin Core

Title

"The Northeaster", March/April 1999

Creator

Sisters of Charity Hospital

Date

March/April 1999

Rights

All rights held by Daughters of Charity Ministries, Inc.

Format

Paper

Language

English

Identifier

"Albany, NY - DePaul Provincial House", RG 11-4-6-1, Publications, The Northeaster, Box 16, Folder 10

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

SISTERS OF CHARITY SCHOOL OF NURSING TO GRADUATE LAST CLASS IN MAY, 1999
FIRST DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY SCHOOL OF NURSING COMPLETES 100 YEARS OF EDUCATION
After a long and prestigious history, the fourth Catholic School of Nursing to be established in the United States is preparing to graduate its last class of nurses. This years graduating class will join the over 3500 nurses who have graduated from the School during its existence in Buffalo, New York.
The Daughters of Charity began their first "training school" for nurses in the U.S. at the Buffalo Hospital of the Sisters of Charity Training School for Nurses by the University of the State of New York, which is dated January 31, 1905, states that 'official inspection shows that the required provision has been made for buildings, furniture, library, apparatus and other equipment and for proper maintenance and that all other requirements of the University for nurses training school have been met." (Monaghan, Margaret, Our School of Nursing, 1965)
By the early thirties, the success of nursing schools in improving the care of the sick had brought about the development of too many schools in improving the care of the sick had brought about the development of too many schools whose graduates could not find work. This was also the beginning of the great depression with its widespread increase in unemployment. Hospitals were urged to discontinue their training programs and so the Sisters of Charity Training School for Nurses was closed in 1933.
In 1943, the U.S. was engaged in World War II and the need for hospitals to bolster their nursing services increased. Therefore, in September, 1943, in response to this need and in cooperation with the State Nursing council for War Service, the Sisters of Charity Hospital reopened its School of Nursing with the enrollment of 62 Cadet Student Nurses.
The Cadet Corps Program was a unique experiment between government and voluntary agencies to meet the needs of the nation for nursing services both at home and in the military. The USPHS did not attempt to standardize nursing education, but it did set eligibility criteria for school which participated, promoting the groundwork for nursing programs to be structured on an educational basis. In order to accelerate the period of nurse education, the Bolton Act stipulated that the program length be reduced from the normal thirty-six months to thirty months or less. The School functioned in this manner for five years.
To assist with the demands of an expanded curriculum and with record-breaking enrollment, the School of Nursing entered into a Statement of Agreement with Canisius College, its neighbor, with the arrangement that the Canisius College faculty teach the general education courses in the first year o the program.
In 1948, the School of Nursing was moved to the Hospital's new site at 2157 Main Street. The economic-service value of the apprenticeship system had been eliminated with the formation of the new School; this made it possible for the School to create and maintain a basic curriculum determined by educational values. The quality of the program was confirmed in 1953 when it received its first National League for Nursing status.
In 1963, as the number of women who sought entry into the School increased, a three-story building with an auditorium, residence rooms, and classrooms was added to Seton Hall, completing the building known as the School of Nursing. Societal ebbs and flows subsequently brought periods of acute shortages of nurses, followed by surpluses. These ups and down are reflected in enrollment in the School, with graduation class sizes of 29 in 1971, then up to 56 in 1977, then down to a low of 15 in 1982. At this latter date the question was first raised, "Should the School be continued?"
In 1983 the newly appointed director of the School, aware of the rapidly evolving professional, educational, and economic climate of the United States, proposed a serious study of the possibilities of developing a two-year associate degree nursing program. This study was initiated with Canisius College, but this alliance was not possible within educational, New York State licensing, or economic constraints. Therefore, the faculty decided to make more gradual changes in the program using a two-step approach. First, a two-year diploma program was developed using the curriculum design of associate degree nursing programs. An affiliation with Erie Community College was arranged. Second, associate degree authority for the school was sought from the New York State Board of Regents. This was received on December 19, 1986. The School
Continued on page 4
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Original Format

Paper

Files

Buffalo Sisters Hospital Newsletter 1999 p.1_digital.jpg

Citation

Sisters of Charity Hospital, “"The Northeaster", March/April 1999,” Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise Archives, accessed March 29, 2024, https://docapsl.omeka.net/items/show/32.