Nursing
Historic Timeline of Nursing at AMH
1887: Auburn City Hospital (ACH) School of Nursing established.
1893: Sept. 25 – First public graduation exercises held. Five nurses graduated.
1902: Henry A. Morgan, Aurora, made a gift of $14,000 to construct Morgan Memorial Home for Nurses.
1905: School of Nursing registered with New York State Department of Education. ACH becomes 4th school in state to be registered.
1908: School registered with New York State Board of Regents.
1919: Auburn City Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association formed.
1920: The Nurse Practice Act passed to define scope of nursing. Annual scholarships for student nurses started.
1927: Nurse recruitment began for high school girls. Curriculum issued by the National League of Nursing. Four most important characteristics of a nurse: Integrity, concentration, perseverance, idealism.
1938: The Nurse Practice Act signed into law by Governor. Defined nursing practice and restricted “nurse for hire” to those who are licensed either as registered professional nurse or practical nurse. Mandatory licensure for nurses becomes the law. Nurses at ACH begin affiliation with Biggs Memorial Hospital, Ithaca, for tuberculosis nursing.
1943: The Cadet Nurse Corps was instituted by the Federal Government to offset heavy loss of graduate nurses. Ninety percent of ACH students enroll in program.
1944: Polio epidemic. ACH becomes polio care center for county. Addition to the School of Nursing in completed.
1948: 8 hour work day and wages increased. New and improved personnel policies were put into effect. Bed capacity grew from 95 to 280 and enrollment of nurses doubled over 25 years. 136 cadet nurses trained, 52 graduates served in Army or Navy Nurse Corps during WWII.
1953: 75th anniversary of ACH School of Nursing. Hospital officially changed name to Auburn Memorial Hospital.
1965: Nurse shortage and expansion of work to be done by nurses brought changes in different kinds of personnel needed. Nursing care became more technical.
1968: Three male students admitted to AMH School of Nursing
1972: Nursing becomes independent profession in New York State.
1973: Official announcement of school closing. Registered Nurses become unionized.
1976: Last class graduates – 31 nurses. A total of 1,307 nurses educated in 89 years.