Isabel Adams Hampton Robb: Pioneer of Nursing Education

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Isabel Adams Hampton Robb (1860-1910)
Initially a teacher, some of Isabel Robb’s major contributions to the nursing profession involved nursing education. She was instrumental in implementing the use of a grading policy for nursing students, so that there was proof of competency before receiving any sort of qualifications. Employed as both the superintendent of nurses and the principal of the training school at Johns Hopkins, she sought to change nursing education, started a nurse’s association, and wrote the textbook Nursing: Its Principles and Practice, which is known for standardizing nursing education (Isabel Adams, 2017). She can be credited as the nursing profession’s leading agent for founding organizations such as the American Nurses’ …show more content…

Believing that women should have the right to make their own reproductive decisions, she left her clinical work in order to promote the use of birth control and provide better education about contraception. Although she faced many conflicts- such as police raids, prison time and legal difficulties- Sanger persevered in her efforts to make a change. In 1930, she successfully opened a family planning clinic in Harlem, and in 1942, formed the Planned Parenthood Federation (Margaret Sanger, 2009). This organization stands today as a valuable provider of education for women about family planning as well as reproductive health. Sanger was visionary in her actions, and showed courage and a refusal to fail while promoting her work. Her experience and commitment inspired others’ respect and support for her …show more content…

She fought for change and equality and is quoted as saying "What is good enough for the doctor is good enough for me and the nursing staff . . . Whatever the boys have, I am going to get the same thing for the girls" (Slotnik, 2012). This was her response when nursing began to lose its attraction to women due to its taxing work, low wages, and erratic hours. As the first African- American woman to have a Chief Nursing Officer position in several organizations including the Department of Veteran Affairs, she fought for higher pay, greater prospects, and better respect for those in the field. Over time, her tenacious nature and fighting spirit helped to improve policies related to nursing education as well as an increase in annual

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