A disciplinary incident at UVA Hospital in November 1918 led student nurses to petition the hospital board to discharge Superintendent of Nurses, Isabele Craig-Anderson. The hospital board wrote a stern response to the student nurses, admonishing the students for questioning the authority of Craig-Anderson, reminding them of their duty to submit to the necessary discipline of the hospital, and re-affirming their support of Craig-Anderson.

On April 5, 1919, Superintendent of Nurses, Isabele Craig-Anderson, wrote to Dean of the Medical School, Theodore Hough, sharing with him a proposed curriculum for the nursing school.

On July 28, 1920, Thomas Hough, Dean of the Medical School wrote to President Alderman explaining the difficulties recruiting a new superintendent and assistant superintendent of nurses because of the low salaries compared to those provided by other hospital schools of nursing. Dr. Hough proposes to increase the superintendent's salary from $1200 to $1500, and that of the assistant superintendent from $900 to $1500. He also recommends increasing the salary of the dietician and other nursing staff.

In September 1921, the Virginia State Board of Examiners of Nurses sent to UVA Superintendent of Nurses, Mary Cowling, the Revised Curriculum, which included the list of topics, texts, reference books, and recommended schedule for use in their accredited training schools.

The State of New York’s State Board of Nurse Examiners identified four school practices they deemed detrimental to the health of Virginia students. The recommendations included reducing the work day from ten to eight hours, limiting night duty assignments to one month, providing students with sick time, and instituting student health records and annual physical exams.

An issue of the satirical student newsletter handwritten by UVA SON students.

An issue of the satirical student newsletter handwritten by UVA SON students.

On April 26, 1932, Stella Hawkins of the University of the State of New York State Board of Nurse Examiners submitted her Report of the Survey of the UVA Hospital School of Nursing to determine if the SON met the requirements for registration by the NY State Board of Examiners. Following her survey, Hawkins concluded that the SON needed to make several adjustments before registration could be granted. These included the need to increase the graduate supervision of student nurses; an increase in laboratory hours; the keeping of statistics records of the clinical facilities available to students; reorganization of the diet kitchen; that all medicine cabinets be kept locked; and improved recording keeping.

This source includes subsequent correspondence, including from Josephine McLeod, who was very disappointed not to secure registration from the NY State Board of Nurse Examiners, as well as discussion of the subsequent adjustments made by the school.

In November 1939, the UVA Hospital SON submitted its application for accreditation by the National League for Nursing Education. The application included information about the organization, administration, and financing of the school, as well as information about the school's students, curriculum, and clinical facilities. The "Student" section of the application (p. 9) required the school to indicate whether the school admitted men (it did not) or students of color (it did not).

On March 18, 1940, Josephine McLeod of the Virginia State Board of Nurse Examiners wrote to Clare Wangen, Superintendent of Nurses, reporting on her recent visit to the School. In addition to noting several improvements, McLeod expressed concern that no provision had been made to improve the conditions of the hospital's Ward Q, the segregated ward for obstetric, pediatric, and newborn patients. She recommended that such provisions be made, noting that "All those of us who have been in the University of Virginia Hospital for the past fifteen years have looked upon this particular division with no eye of approval, and we know that it is bad for the patient... and our students."

President Newcomb establishes committee chaired by Dr. George McLean Lawson, Dean of the Medical School, to investigate the possibility of developing an undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The committee also included Dr. Karl Wallace, Dr. Francis G. Lankford, Jr, Dr. John A. Rorer, Dean Roberta Hollingsworth, Professor Ouise Oates, and Professor Lois Austin.

In 1945, University President Newcomb appointed a committee “to study the needs of the Nursing School in relation to a proposed incorporation of the school as part of the University." After a year of studying the plans of Walker and her nursing assistant, Roy C. Beazley, to upgrade the school, the committee recommended to the University’s new President Colgate W. Darden, “the establishment of a Collegiate School of Nursing at the University of Virginia.” The committee's report was submitted in December 1945.

The February 1946 issue of the UVA Hospital SON newsletter.

On May 20, 1946, a mass meeting of the SON's student government was held. The issues discussed included "the deplorable condition of the uniforms and hair that has been going on duty;" "complaints about the way some girls have been entertaining their dates in McKim Hall"; missing library books, and various administrative and disciplinary matters. The minutes also recorded that "The attitude of the students toward Student Government has not been very desirable. WE are asking that you cooperate with us so that student government will be what you want it to be."

On February 8, 1949, Edward Alvey, Jr., Dean of Mary Washington College, wrote to Roy Beazley, director of nurses at UVA Hospital, about a possible cooperative program between the UVA SON and Mary Washington College. In the program, students would undertake their academic work at Mary Washington College and her professional nursing courses at UVA and receive a Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing upon completion of the program.

On December 18, 1952, the faculty of medicine passed a resolution recommending that UVA establish a Department of Nursing incorporating the Cabaniss Memorial Department of Nursing Education and the Department of Nursing in the School of Medicine into a single administrative unit with its own chairperson, faculty, and budget under the joint control of the School of Medicine, School of Education, and the UVA Hospital. They also recommended that the Department of Nursing offer programs leading to the Diploma and BSN, a Master of Education in Nursing Education, and a Certificate in Practical Nursing.

The Board of Visitors approved these measures in 1953.

On October 15, 1954, the joint administrative committee of the Department of Nursing met to discuss several policy and administrative issues related to the new department. This included discussion of what policies should be followed concerning Black registered nurses and male nurses who apply to the Department of Nursing. At the meeting, the "Committee unanimously recommended" that the university president's "permission be sought for permitting colored nurses to enroll." Dean Stiles, School of Education, stated that if Black nurses "are enrolled in the Department within the University they may take any class that is required as a prerequisite for the program in which they are registered." John Stacey, Hospital Director, suggested "that male applicants in the basic program be advised to go elsewhere as we have no housing facilities and such schools as the very excellent Mills School have been developed especially for male nurses. Dean Stiles "felt the registered male nurse could enroll here and obtain a satisfactory program."

In 1955, the nursing faculty approved policies for the admission of students to the basic BSN and RN-BSN programs.

The Department of Nursing approves new regulations regarding marriage and maternity leave.

The ban on student nurses marrying while in school was lifted. Students could now seek permission to marry at the end of 12 months in the school if they had a “B” grade in all their courses and they “demonstrated evidence of being mature."

The School of Nursing adopted a maternity leave policy. It required that the student inform the faculty of her pregnancy as soon as she was “diagnosed as pregnant.” Maternity leave began in the 5th Month of pregnancy and ended 2 months after the birth of the child, unless her physician extended it. 

On September 15, 1956, following the recommendation of the Nursing School Advisory Committee, the Board of Visitors resolves to abolish the Department of Nursing and create the School of Nursing as an autonomous and independent school within the university. Margaret Tyson is appointed acting dean.

W.T. Sanger, Chancellor of the Medical College of Virginia, wrote in the late 1950s about the nursing shortage nationally and in Virginia. Sanger put it at a conservative estimate that Virginia had a shortage of 1,500 to 2,000 nurses, and explained that there were many reasons for the shortage, including: loss to the profession during World War II because of increased marriage rates; increased demands from public health, industry, the armed services, business, the Veterans Administration, and physicians' offices; and the reduction of time more bedside nursing care because of the delegation of "a long list of treatment procedures and duties, some very complicated, which were first the responsibility of interns and other physicians."

On June 2, 1960, Dean Tyson wrote to John Stacey, director of UVA Hospital, notifying him of the suspension of student in the diploma program. The student was suspended for four weeks for violating the School of Nursing's marriage regulations.

In January 1961, Dean Tyson had requested to President Shannon that the requirement that BSN students undertake nursing service assignments in exchange for room, board, and laundry be removed from the curriculum, following the recommendation of the National League for Nursing. President Shannon opposed Tyson's request because Dr. Thomas Hunter (director of the Medical Center) and the Medical Affairs Policy Board expressed concerns about the hospital’s inability to provide safe patient care without the BSN students’ services. Tyson and Shannon discussed the matter in a series of correspondence through March 1961. In the end, Dean Tyson agreed that BSN students entering their third year in 1963 be given the option to pay for their room, board, and laundry through Nursing Service assignments amounting to a total of 162 days. Students would also have the option to not participate in the Nursing Service assignments and instead pay for their room, board, and laundry.

On March 25, 1961, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published a letter written by a group of UVA nursing students after they had toured Western State Hospital in Staunton as part of their psychiatric nursing experience. The students wrote of their "disgust" at the conditions at Western State Hospital and criticized the state legislature for failing to providing adequate funding to the institution to ensure appropriate food, clothing, treatment, and adequate professional care.

In response to the published letter, Dean Tyson and faculty member, Suzanne Lowry, received letters from the Virginia State Board of Nurse Examiners and Western State Hospital's Superintendent expressing their concern about the students' letter. While Tyson and Lowry defended the students' rights to free speech, they lamented the negative attention it had brought the school and the potential harm to the school's relationship with Western State Hospital.

W.L. Lamm made a Security Report, following an incident during the late evening of April 14, 1962. A group of 1st year medical students were drinking, singing, and yelling on the bank of McKim Hall, near the Chemistry Building. The medical students were "being assisted" and cheered on by the nursing students who were calling from the windows of McKim Hall. It took security offers 35-40 minutes to "get the boys off the hospital property" and "the girls quieted down." The deans of the medical school and nursing school were notified about the incident the morning of April 25, 1962.

On October 21, 1963, Dean Tyson wrote to the faculty of the UVA SON notifying them of her decision to resign her position as Dean and begin a new position at Teachers College, Columbia University in fall 1964.

Passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 prohibited segregation in public accommodations and racial discrimination in employment. This was the beginning of the end of racial segregation in hospitals that received federal funding.

On April 30, 1965, the NAACP filed a complaint with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to investigate violations of the Civil Rights Act and discrimination by the University of Virginia Hospital.

On July 7, 1965, Dean Baber notified President Shannon that the nursing faculty supported her recommendation to close the Diploma program, enrolling the final class of students in September 1965. Baber provided several reasons for the decision, including growing enrollment in the BSN and RN-BSN programs, the difficulties of maintaining both a Diploma and BSN program, and the growing costs of operating the Diploma program. On July 13, 1965, President Shannon approved the recommendation to close the Diploma program.

In May 1967, Dean Lohr circulated to faculty a proposal to establish a Master of Science in Nursing program to develop students' "expertness in one clinical field of nursing," including medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, obstetrical nursing, and public health nursing, and give them the "opportunity to study in the functional areas or teaching nursing or supervision of nursing services." It was "anticipated that one clinical major will be activated each year until the full complement of five majors is offered." This proposal includes handwritten comments from faculty member, Ruth Moran.

This proposal represents some of the early planning that culminated in the launch of the first MSN program launched in 1972, with clinical majors in Pediatrics and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing.

In September 1968, Regina McCormack, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, UVA School of Medicine, shared with Dean Mary Lohr an initial proposal for a post-baccalaureate program for training nurses in what would become known as the nurse practitioner role. The proposal was evaluated by the School of Nursing's Curriculum Committee and by an ad hoc committee chaired by Phyllis Verhonick. Both committees raised concerns about the proposal and recommended against accepting the proposal in its current form.

In October 1968, Regina McCormack, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, UVA School of Medicine, submitted a revised proposal for training nurses for advanced roles in primary care (what would become known as the nurse practitioner role). The revised proposal incorporated feedback from the School of Nursing's Curriculum Committee and ad hoc committee, which was chaired by Phyllis Verhonick. The ad hoc committee again provided feedback on the revised draft, noting that it was "grossly improved" compared to the earlier draft.

On July 29, 1969, UVA Provost, Frank Hereford, asked the academic deans to notify him of any new degree programs planned during the next six years so that he could notify the State Council for Higher Education of those plans. Dean Lohr responded on August 6, 1969, indicating the SON's interest in developing a PhD in Nursing program.

This is an updated proposal to establish a training program for nurses in adult ambulatory care (otherwise known as the nurse practitioner role), which in March 1971, was prepared by Regina McCormack, MD, and James Respess, MD, both faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine, UVA School of Medicine. This source also includes Dr. McCormack's correspondence with the National Center for Health Services Research and Development in the Department of Health Education and Welfare, as well as Dean Lohr in the School of Nursing.

On September 2, 1971, the State Council of Higher Education approved UVA's request to offer the program leading to the degree of Master of Science in Nursing effective September, 1972.

On October 8, 1971, President Edgar Shannon wrote in a memo to Vice President and Provost David Shannon the importance of securing new faculty members "scholars and teachers who are also women or members of racial minorities." Three days later, the provost shared the president's memo with the academic deans, reaffirming the importance and urgency of this policy, noting that the recruitment of "promising and distinguished female and black [sic] scholars and scientists... requires special ingenuity and initiative beyond the use efforts and channel for recruitment - and it is not clear to me that this kind of effort is being made in all departments." 

On October 17, 1975, president of the Student Council invited Dean Chioni to attended a Symposium on Minority Affairs. The agenda included remarks by the Student Council President about the administration's responsiveness to student concerns related to minority student affairs, remarks by the Black Student Alliance Chairperson regarding the Black experience at UVA, and presentations by faculty and students of proposals for improving the quality of the Black experience at UVA. Ten days earlier, members of the Minority Affairs Committee had hosted an Open Forum on Minority Affairs to discuss concerns about the recruitment and retention of Black students.

In 1974, the UVA SON and UVA Hospital were awarded an Emergency Medical Services Training Grant to support the development of a Rural EMT training program and an Emergency Nurse Practitioner Program. Jane Echols (SON) and Richard Edlich (SOM) were co-directors of the Emergency Medical Education Program, which housed the programs. Denise Geolot, assistant professor in the SON served as coordinator of the Emergency Nurse Practitioner Program. The program launched in 1975 as the Emergency Nurse Specialist Program, a 24-week course providing registered nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver emergency care to patients in an emergency care facility. In January 1976, it transitioned to a two-semester Emergency Nurse Practitioner Program.

The UVA SON begins discussing plans for launching a PhD in Nursing program. An all-day meeting was held on January 11, 1978 to discuss the need for and feasibility of establishing a PhD in Nursing and to consider potential content and curriculum for a PhD program. The ad hoc committee met regularly through 1978 and 1979.

The UVA SON submitted a proposal to the Virginia State Council for Higher Education (SCHEV) to initiate a PhD in Nursing program in Fall 1982. SCHEV met April 7, 1981 and approved initiation of the PhD in Nursing Program.

In March 1981, Dean Chioni completed a study of the factors affecting the employment of the graduates of the UVA SON in the context of growing concerns about a national nursing shortage. She shared the results of the study with President Frank Hereford and other UVA leaders. Among the study's findings were that 83% of graduates were working as nurses, with the majority working as staff nurses at the bedside.

On April 10, 1981, Cecilia Dawkins, PhD, RN, assisting professor from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing, submitted a report of her consultation for the SON Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for Affirmative Action. As consultant, Dawkins was tasked with identifying the strengths, limitations, and resources of the SON related to the recruitment of minoritized faculty; determining the issues delineated or not delineated by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee; sharing the process, outcomes, and progress utilized by other nursing schools; and delineating actions the Committee needs to take for future recruitment.

On May 15, 1981, the SON's Ad Hoc Committee for Affirmative Action shared with the faculty ahead of the general faculty meeting, its summary of the committee's work over the past academic year.

On May 28, 1983, Peggye Lassiter, SON Graduate Program Affirmative Action Representative, reported to Dean Chioni the affirmative action efforts she had been responsible for during the academic year, 1982-1983. Among these efforts were "Continued links with Howard University School of Nursing faculty" and "graduate student exchanges between UVA and Howard University through a media exchange program focused on nursing and health care issues."

This document serves as an annual report and assessment of UVA's activities and efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of Black students and faculty. In addition to providing an overview of Black student and faculty recruitment and retention at the university, it also includes reports from each school within the university. During the 1983-1984 academic, there were 16 Black students in the BSN program (p.9), the Master's program enrolled three new Black students, whose progress through the program was reported as "excellent," and had received applicants from three Black students for fall 1984 (p. 18). On the faculty side, the SON struggled to recruit Black faculty. At the time, the SON had one Black faculty member. That faculty member "is deeply involved in the recruitment and interviewing process, and works closely with minority student groups." However, although the SON "vigorously recruited minority faculty, it was unsuccessful this year in its effort to add to the one Black full-time faculty member currently employed." (p. 29).

The SON reported on its ongoing recruitment activities, which included "a. an educational exchange program with Howard University; b. regular contact with Black doctoral faculty listed as Minority Nurses by the American Nurses Association; c. personal contact of doctoral faculty who are listed by the American Nurses' Association as Minority Faculty; d. personal recruitment at professional meetings." (pp. 29-30).

This project addresses a plan by Clinch Valley College and the University of Virginia to study and design a program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The amount of $60,000 is requested from the Appalachian Regional Commission for this first-phase planning effort.

Memo from Rose Marie Chioni, Gregg Newschwander, and Judith Sands to Dean Jeanette Lancaster sharing their assessment of the need for BSN and MSN degree programs to be established in southwestern Virginia and the readiness of Clinch Valley College to initiate such a program. Given the shortage of BSN- and MSN-prepared nurses in the region, together with the available clinical resources, they recommended the establishment of a BSN program offered jointly by UVA SON and Clinch Valley College. They also recommended UVA SON establish a RN to MSN program to serve the region. The memo includes their assessment of the region's clinical facilities and their specific recommendations.

This document provides an overview of the Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center, which was established in 1992 with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. It was an interdisciplinary mental health services research center established a public-private partnership between UVA, the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, and rural Community Service Boards and rural Community Health Clinics.

In 2003, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published the Working Paper on the Role of the Clinical Nurse Leader, which described the background, significance, and responsibilities of the new clinical nurse leader role. The CNL, prepared at the master's degree level, provides direct clinical leadership at the point of care to ensure the delivery of safe, evidence-based, quality care. The UVA SON was one of the pilot sites for developing the CNL master's (MSN) program. It was established as a master's entry for second degree students. In 2004, the SON requested $85,000 per year for two years from the UVA Health Services Foundation to support development of the MSN program in partnership with the UVA Health System. The SON enrolled the first cohort of CNL students in fall 2005.

The UVA SON established the Rural Health Care Research Center in 2004 with funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research to provide the infrastructure necessary to conduct and disseminate research responsive to the varied clinical and information needs of rural populations in the U.S. Dr. Elizabeth Merwin served as director of the center.

In October 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing approved the proposal recommending that a practice-focused doctorate, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), be established to prepare graduates for advanced nursing practice. The AACN also recommended the DNP as the ideal preparation and credentialing for clinical teaching. In May 2005, the UVA SON faculty voted to approve moving forward with a plan to develop a DNP degree at UVA and Dean Jeanette Lancaster charged a DNP Implementation Task Group with developing a proposal for the new degree program. In April 2006, the faculty submitted the DNP program proposal to the UVA Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee. The DNP program was approved by the UVA Board of Visitors on June 9, 2006, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in January 2007. The first cohort of students enrolled in the program in fall 2007.

In 2009, SON Dean Dorrie Fontaine and SOM Dean DeKosky established the UVA inter professional Education Initiative, a collaborative project developed by administrators, faculty, and students from the Schools of Nursing and Medicine. This document provides an overview of the IPEI.

The SON launched the Dean's Initiative on Inclusion, Diversity, and Excellence with the overarching goal of of improving respect, inclusion, and engagement in the SON's community of students, staff, and faculty.

As we enter a multigenerational community, we pledge to move forward and be a part of the next generation of nursing by learning from the past to make an even greater difference in the future. 

By taking this pledge, we each promise to do the following: 

• I will not make insensitive and condescending statements or participate in any other actions of incivility against my fellow colleagues, educators, or patients;
• I will not just take orders but will be empowered to fully understand them; to question when necessary, and, in doing so, remembering to be respected I must respect;
• I will not only advocate with the utmost integrity and lack of bias, but also show true compassion and beneficence on behalf of my patients, coworkers, and myself;
• I will continue to work hard to build an environment of true inclusivity and cultural humility; I will not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or discrimination of any kind;
• I will not only be known for educating and taking care of my patients but also for educating and taking care of myself so I can be an active professional for the sake of my future patients, for the sake of my fellow colleagues, and for the sake of the future of this healthcare system.

I pledge to be a Next Generation Nurse.

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