Exhibits, museums provide a history of nursing
By JODY RATHGEB

Do you know where you come from?

No, this isn't the introduction to a "birds and bees" lecture. It's a question about knowing the history of your profession and passion, nursing. A quick study of nursing's past and its tremendous changes over the years enriches your practice, giving you an appreciation of its nobility and the advances that have been made in responsibility and respect.

Nursing museums, displays and exhibits offer a quick dip into the past that can promote pride and a better understanding of the profession. They go beyond the "wasn't that quaint" reaction to viewing old uniforms, pins and caps; these exhibits highlight the gradual change from an activity once seen as just a step up from prostitution to today's niche jobs that require high levels of skill and education.

Consider a visit to a nearby museum on your own time; arrange a field trip for your local nursing organization; or take a look at nursing history during your leisure travel. Here are some places to consider.

The Museum of Nursing History at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia follows nursing from Florence Nightingale to the space age. Started as a Bicentennial project in 1974, the museum operated under the Southeast Pennsylvania League for Nursing until it was incorporated in 1985. Donations of artifacts from all over the country include uniforms, journals and documents in permanent and rotating displays. One prized item is an 1877 letter from Florence Nightingale to Alice Fischer, who founded the Philadelphia General School of Nursing. Info: (215) 831-7819; www.nursinghistory.org

The University of Maryland School of Nursing Museum in Baltimore highlights the historical contributions of nurses with an emphasis on the experience of University of Maryland nurses from 1889 to the present. Info: (410) 706-3100; nursing.umaryland.edu/about/campus-community/museum

The University of Virginia School of Nursing in Charlottesville is currently moving and collating its collections and exhibits. By summer's end, its Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry will include an exhibit space of historical items on the first floor of McLeod Hall. The school also offers a different kind of nursing exhibit: public art in the Claude Moore Nursing Education Building that aims to refresh a nurse's soul and become a "minivacation" from the stress of work. The art was donated by Pamela and Glen Rhodes. Info: nursing.virginia.edu (click on "visitors")

Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries has an extensive History of Nursing Resource Guide that can point you toward other museums in the United States and abroad. Its website also serves as an excellent springboard to other scholarship and research. Info: (804) 828-9898; library.vcu.edu/tml/speccoll/nursing

Other schools of nursing have exhibits on nursing history and are worth a look for travelers interested in the topic. Visit one if you're nearby; it's always nice to find your roots.