Historical Research Methods:
Telling the Stories of
New Orleans Nursing History
Deborah Garbee PhD, APRN, BC
&
Dianna Hutto Douglas DNS APRN-CNS
Historical Research Defined
 Integrated Written Record of Past
that Weaves in Multiple Factors e.g.
Social, Political, & Economic
 Probing for Explanations &
Relationships , Effects or Trends
 Purpose is to Understand the Past
to Explain the Present or Future
Historical Research Traditions
 Positivistic

Attempt to categorize information
and show cause-effect
 Idealist

Try to Understand Thoughts of
Individuals in an Event Along with
Time, Place, and Situation
Historical Design
 Define the Study Topic or Focus
 There May be a Hypotheses, Questions,
or Theoretical Orientation
 Climate of the Time Period
 ROL, Major Works on Topic
 Identify Themes and Ambiguities
 Formulate Questions
 Organize Data (Full Reference,
Archive and/or Library)
Data Collection
 Primary Sources




Personal Letters
Diaries
Organizational
Records
Photographs
 Secondary Sources



Newspaper
Journal articles
Textbooks
Archives
 Unpublished Material, Records,
Manuscripts, Papers
 Finding Aids
 Collections, Record Group,
Series, Subseries
 Linear Cubic Feet
 On-site Use Only
 Pencil & Paper Only
Confirming Sources
 Genuineness
 Authenticity
 External Criticism
 Internal Criticism
 Corroborating Evidence
Data Analysis
 Based on Questions, Themes,
and Conceptual Framework
 Discover New Truths
 Researcher Bias & Other Bias
Bias
 Researcher Bias Identified
 Present-Mindedness
 Ideological Bias
Ethical Issues
 Right to Privacy v.
Right to Know
 Infringement on
Historical
Reputation
Interpretation
 Researchers Tell the Story
 Explain What, How and Why
 Explore Relationships
Historical Research Voice
 Creatively Render Events,
Findings, & Supporting Ideas
 Plan the Story Using Themes
 Weave Together Historical Facts
 Go Beyond Facts
 Develop New Knowledge, Ideas,
and Meanings
Example
Evolving Standards for Nursing
Curriculum and Nursing
Faculty in Louisiana
1920-1950
Research Questions
 How did Louisiana, New Orleans specifically,
respond to national calls for nursing reform?
 What changes were made to nursing school
curricula at Charity Hospital School of Nursing
(CHSN) in New Orleans?
Primary Sources
 CHSN reports to Committee on Grading of
Nursing Schools (Jan. & Oct., 1932)
 National League of Nursing Education
(NLNE) Facts About Your School (1935,
1939, 1943, & 1945)
Secondary Sources
 Goldmark Report, Nursing and Nursing





Education in the United States (1923)
Nursing Schools Today and Tomorrow
(Committee on the Grading of Nursing
Schools, 1934)
CHSN Yearbooks
Caps and Capes (1938, 1942, & 1950)
CHSN Bulletin (1958-1959)
Louisiana State University (LSU) Register
(1940-1941)
LSU Bulletin (1942-1943).
National Calls for Reform
 Improve Nursing School Curriculum
Without Duplication of Learning
 Improve Faculty Qualifications to Teach
at a School of Nursing with College
Graduates as Faculty
 Eliminate Non-Nursing Duties
National Themes
 Free Labor, A Win-Lose Situation
 Anyone Can Teach – Raising the Bar for
Nursing Faculty
 Folding Linen, Washing Lettuce, &
Cleaning Bathrooms
Local Perspective
“Story”
 Nursing N’Awlins Style
 Sister Servants, CHSN Faculty
Snapshot
 Nursing Students: White Caps, White
Stockings, & White Shoes
Discussion
 CHSN Similar to Nursing Schools Across America
Students Worked Long Hours
 A non-nurse board
 Same Person over Hospital Nursing Service &
SON
 CHSN Ahead of Other Nursing Schools
 Staff Performed Non-Nursing Duties
 Large, Varied Patient Population
 Increased Number of Graduate Nurses at Bedside
 Presence of BSN Ed Students.
 Regardless of hard work, CHSN Students Seemed
to Love Their Experience.

Conclusions
 So what?
 Efforts to professionalize and improve nursing
image & education continues today.
 The image of clinging to an instructors skirt the
first day on a nursing unit rings true today in that
students are innocent & young.
 Just as nurses before us, nursing faculty do not
want to sacrifice what we perceive as quality
education in the process of reform.
What Topic do you
Want to Research
from New Orleans
Nursing History?
References
 Glesne, C. (1999). Becoming Qualitative
Researchers An Introduction. (2nd ed.).
New York: Longman.
 Kyvig, D.E. & Marty, M.A. (2000). Nearby
History. (2nd ed.). Walnut Creek, CA:
Alta Mira Press.
 Speziale, H.J. & Carpenter, D.R. (2007).
Qualitative Research in Nursing
Advancing the Humanistic Imperative.
(4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.