| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Greater Cleveland Nurses Association |
| Title: | Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Records |
| Dates: | 1900-1979 |
| Extent: | 8.61 linear feet (9 containers, 4 oversize volumes, and 1 oversize folder) |
| Abstract: | The Greater Cleveland Nurses Association is a professional organization founded in 1917 to promote the nursing profession in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1918 the Graduate Nurses' Association (est. 1900) was merged into the Greater Cleveland Nurses Association. The collection consists of minutes, correspondence, reports, financial and legal material on community service projects, records of related agencies, and newspaper clippings. |
| MS Number | MS 3866 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The Greater Cleveland Nurses Association, District #4 of the Ohio Nurses Association, has grown out of a number of organizations which formed to promote the nursing profession in Cleveland, Ohio. On May 28, 1900, a group of women met to establish an association of nurses practicing in Cleveland. This group, which became known as the Graduate Nurses' Association, had as its objectives to "improve the standard of the profession of trained nursing in Cleveland and elsewhere and to improve the conditions affecting the members in the prosecution of their profession, to raise a fund for the purpose of furnishing nurses to deserving persons unable themselves to pay in full for the services of nurses, to stimulate an interest in nursing affairs and to conduct a central registry."
The central registry was a major activity of the Association after it opened for calls in February of 1901. With fifty-five nurses enrolling the first year, the registry provided both hospitals and private patients in the community with trained nurses, and continued to do so until its closing in 1974.
Three years after its incorporation in 1909, the Association moved its headquarters to a house at 2100 East 40th Street. This property had been purchased by the Isabel Hampton Robb Memorial Committee to provide a clubhouse for the Association in honor of Isabel Hampton Robb, a leader in the nursing profession and a member of the Graduate Nurses' Association until her death in 1910. The headquarters of the Association were at three subsequent locations, including the Cleveland Nursing Center on Euclid Avenue from 1920 to 1942.
In November of 1917, another group of nurses met to organize District #4 of the Ohio State Graduate Nurses' Association which would include the Cleveland area. In June of 1918, the Graduate Nurses' Association agreed to merge with the newly-formed District #4. Another group which joined District #4 was the Visiting Nurse Club of Cleveland (later the Thursday Social Club and Public Health Club) which disbanded so that its members could join District #4.
In 1921, when the District filed new articles of incorporation, it stated its purpose as "the study of more efficient care of the sick, and the participation in the solution of all problems relating to the health of the community; the advancement of the educational standards of nurses, the maintenance of the honor and character of the nursing profession and the establishment of reciprocity between graduate nurses of Ohio and other states and countries."
These objectives are reflected in the varied interests and activities of the Association over the years. The Association has continually worked with other health care and community service agencies to sponsor projects such as health awareness fairs and immunization programs. It has also taken an active interest in the educational standards of area nursing school programs.
In the 1930s, the Association was concerned with advancing its profession by calling for the establishment of a nursing division in the State Department of Health. It also worked at this time for proper salary and position recognition of public health nurses and for the establishment of an eight-hour day for private duty nurses working in hospitals.
In the 1940s, the Association became involved in the defense movement, working with agencies such as the American Red Cross and the Ohio Council of Defense to ensure that adequate nursing was available for both military personnel and civilians.
Throughout the years the Association has supported nurses working in specialized areas of the profession, establishing committees to meet their particular interests, including Industrial Nursing and Public Health Committees, a Psychiatric-Mental Health Practice Division (established in 1971), the Nurse Practitioner and Cardiovascular Nursing Conference Groups.
Activities in the 1970s reflected the Association's concern for the promotion of the role of the nurse and the study of the health care situation in the community. In 1973, the Association initiated the organization of the Greater Cleveland Joint Professional Practice Committee, designed to bring together representatives from medicine and nursing to discuss the roles of the physician and nurse. In 1975, the Association's Council on Practice completed a study entitled "Identification of Current and Extended Nursing Practice in Hospitals in Greater Cleveland," providing insight into the nurse's current role in health care.
The Greater Cleveland Nurses Association continues to function as a district of the Ohio Nurses Association, and remains active as a professional organization with a vital interest in the health care situation of the community.
The Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Records, 1900-1979 and undated, consist of minutes, correspondence, reports, financial and legal material on community service projects, records of related agencies, and newspaper clippings.
This collection provides insight into the growth of the nursing profession in Cleveland, Ohio, and in the United States in the twentieth century. It also provides information on health care issues of concern to the nursing profession and the community. Included is material relating to the Visiting Nurse Club, the Central Registry for Nurses, the Cleveland Nursing Center, and the Isabel Hampton Robb Memorial Association. Other subjects covered include the nurses' role in national defense, legislation of concern to the nursing profession, and nursing practices and problems in Cleveland area health care facilities. This collection also documents the history of women, particularly those in the nursing profession.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 4317 Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Records, Series II; MS 5085 Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Records, Series III; and PG 581 Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Photographs.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3866 Greater Cleveland Nurses Association Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of the Greater Cleveland Nurses Association in 1980.
Processed by Mary Uhl in 1981.
Series I: Administrative Records 1900-1978 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1-2 | Articles of incorporation and bylaws 1970-1976 undated | |||||||||
| Folder | |||||||||||
| 1 | Oversize Folder 1: Articles of incorporation 1921 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Histories, including material on the Nurses' Registry and the Isabel Hampton Robb Memorial 1900-1959 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4-5 | Executive Committee minutes (originals) 1900-1912 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Executive Committee minutes (photocopies) 1909-1913 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6-7 | Board of trustees and regular meeting minutes, including list of members 1909-1917 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Board of trustees, Graduate Nurses' Association, minutes 1914-1918 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Board of trustees, executive board, District #4, minutes 1917-1918 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9-22 | Board of trustees minutes 1919-1942 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1-19 | Board of trustees minutes 1942-1960 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1-21 | Board of directors minutes 1961-1978 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1-20 | Regular meeting minutes 1900-1951 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1-11 | Regular meeting minutes 1952-1977 | |||||||||
| 5 | 12 | Annual reports 1969-1977 | |||||||||
| 5 | 13 | Board policies, guidelines, and organization chart 1972-1978 | |||||||||
| 5 | 14 | Personnel policies and record 1966-1974 | |||||||||
| 5 | 15-21 | Audit statements 1914-1978 | |||||||||
| 5 | 22 | Audit statements, financial statements 1942-1970 | |||||||||
| 5 | 23 | Audit statements, insurance records 1971-1977 | |||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||
| 1 | Oversize Volume 1: Financial records 1914-1918 | ||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||
| 2 | Oversize Volume 2: Financial records 1914-1919 | ||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||
| 3 | Oversize Volume 3: Financial records 1920-1925 | ||||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||||
| 4 | Oversize Volume 4: Financial records 1925-1930 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 24 | Union dues receipts 1968-1969 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | Unemployment and workmen's compensation records 1936-1974 | |||||||||
| 6 | 2 | General financial and legal records 1909-1974 undated | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Reports of the President and Executive Director 1974-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Administrative activity reports 1976 | |||||||||
| 6 | 4 | Membership records, including district dues, membership transactions, reinstated members lists, and yearly membership list 1900-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 5 | Membership records, including district meetings attendance lists 1969-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 6 | 6-7 | American Nurses' Association correspondence 1970-1978 | |||||||||
| 6 | 8-9 | American Nurses' Association, non-correspondence 1946-1978 undated | |||||||||
| 6 | 10-11 | Ohio Nurses Association, general correspondence 1973-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 12 | Ohio Nurses Association, general non-correspondence 1923-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 12 | Ohio Nurses Association, fifty year club 1971-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 13-14 | Ohio Nurses Association, conventions 1973-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 15 | Ohio Nurses Association, reports 1969-1977 | |||||||||
| 6 | 16 | General correspondence, including material relating to the organization of district nursing in Cleveland, the educational standards of the German Hospital School of Nursing, the merging of the Graduate Nurses' Association and District #4, and legislation of concern to the Association 1901-1923 | |||||||||
| 6 | 17 | General correspondence, including material relating to the Cleveland Clinic disaster, the Official Registry for nurses, and correspondence from Frances Payne Bolton concerning the Cleveland Nursing Center 1924-1936 | |||||||||
| 6 | 18 | General correspondence, including material relating to the nurses' role in national defense 1937-1945 | |||||||||
| 6 | 19 | General correspondence, including material relating to the shortage of nurses in Cleveland hospitals 1946-1968 | |||||||||
| 6 | 20 | General correspondence, including material relating to the Greater Cleveland Joint Professional Practice Committee 1969-1973 | |||||||||
| 6 | 21 | General correspondence, including material relating to legislation of concern to the Association, the nurse's role in certain medical procedures, and nursing practices at the Hough-Norwood Family Health Center 1973-1974 | |||||||||
| 6 | 22-24 | General correspondence, including material relating to legislation of concern to the Association 1975-1976 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1-9 | General correspondence, including material relating to legislation of concern to the Association 1976-1978 | |||||||||
Series II: Committee and Activity Files 1901-1979 undated |
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Sub-series A: Independent Committees 1969-1977 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 10 | Council on Practice 1969-1975 | |||||||||
| 8 | 11-12 | Nominating Committee, minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1972-1977 | |||||||||
Sub-series B: Standing Committees 1919-1978 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 13 | Bylaws Committee 1972-1977 | |||||||||
| 7 | 14--18 | Finance Committee, minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1919-1978 undated | |||||||||
| 7 | 19 | Human Rights Committee 1971-1978 undated | |||||||||
| 7 | 20-21 | Legislative Committee, minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1971-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 7 | 22 | Membership Committee 1972-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 7 | 22 | New Graduate Sub-Committee 1972-1974 | |||||||||
| 7 | 23 | Nursing Education Committee 1971-1978 undated | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1 | Nursing Service Committee 1972-1978 | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | Joint Nursing Service and Nursing Education Committee 1975-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 3 | Program Committee 1971-1977 | |||||||||
Sub-series C: Practice Divisions 1970-1977 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 4 | Community Health Practice Division 1970-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 5 | Gerontological Practice Division 1972-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 6 | Medical - Surgical Practice Division 1970-1974 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 7 | Psychiatric - Mental health Division on Practice 1971-1974 | |||||||||
Sub-series D: Conference Groups 1973-1977 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 8 | Cardiovascular Nursing Clinical Interest Conference Group 1973-1974 | |||||||||
| 8 | 9-10 | Nurses Practitioner Conference Groups (Primary Health Care Nurses Conference Group until 1977), minutes, correspondence, and non-correspondence 1974-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 11 | Staff Development Conference Group 1973-1977 | |||||||||
Sub-series E: Miscellaneous Committees 1901-1979 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 12 | Core Concepts Group 1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 13 | Committee on District Nursing 1901 | |||||||||
| 8 | 14 | Fund Raising Committee 1972-1975 | |||||||||
| 8 | 15 | Subcommittee on Goals 1972-1979 | |||||||||
| 8 | 16 | Headquarters Committee 1926-1960 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 17 | Special Headquarters Committee 1970-1975 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 18 | Health Fair Committee 1977-1978 | |||||||||
| 8 | 19 | Subcommittee for Hough-Norwood Response 1974 | |||||||||
| 8 | 20 | Immunization Committee 1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 21 | Committee on Personnel Practice 1935-1947 | |||||||||
| 8 | 22 | Professional Standards Review Organization Committee 1974-1976 | |||||||||
| 8 | 23 | Committee on Structure 1975-1978 | |||||||||
Sub-series F: General Association 1910-1977 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 24 | Involved Member Award 1973-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 25 | Isabel Hampton Robb Memorial 1910-1964 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 26 | New Member Orientation 1976-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 27 | Private Duty Nursing 1968-1969 | |||||||||
Sub-series G: Community Service 1975-1979 |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 28 | Desegregation Task Force 1975-1976 | |||||||||
| 8 | 29 | Legislative Tea 1977-1979 | |||||||||
| 8 | 30 | Swine Flu Program 1976 | |||||||||
Series III: Related Agency Files 1911-1978 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 31 | American Cancer Society, Nurses' Committee, Cuyahoga County 1974-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 31 | Cleveland Area Citizens League for Nursing 1976-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 31 | Cleveland General and St. Luke's Nurses Alumnae Association 1944 | |||||||||
| 8 | 31 | Cleveland State university, Department of Nursing Education 1972-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 32 | Cuyahoga Community College, Department of Nursing Education 1974-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 32 | Cuyahoga County Community Mental health and Retardation Board 1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 33 | Federation for Community Planning 1975-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 33 | Greater Cleveland Coalition for Health Care Cost Containment 1978 | |||||||||
| 8 | 33 | Greater Cleveland Joint Professional Practice Committee 1973 | |||||||||
| 8 | 34-36 | Metropolitan Health Planning Corporation, correspondence and non-correspondence 1974-1977 | |||||||||
| 8 | 37 | Northern Ohio Lung Association 1974-1978 | |||||||||
| 8 | 38 | Ohio Citizens' Council 1974-1977 undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 39 | Student Nurses' Association of Greater Cleveland 1971 | |||||||||
| 8 | 39 | Visiting Nurse Association of Cleveland ca. 1976 | |||||||||
| 8 | 40 | Visiting Nurse Club (later Thursday Social Club and Public Health Club) 1911-1920 | |||||||||
Series IV: Miscellaneous Material 1917-1978 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 41 | Newspaper clippings 1917-1978 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 9 | 1-3 | General articles and newspaper clippings, including material on early nursing practices 1926-1977 | |||||||||
| 9 | 4 | Miscellaneous certificates 1959-1969 undated | |||||||||