Appalachian Nursing - Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies by Sharon Loury Paperback

About the Book

"This work provides an in-depth examination of early healthcare and the evolution of professional nursing in the heart of Appalachia. Existing histories of Appalachian healthcare tend to focus on physicians, with little written about the evolution of nursing in the region and the nurses' roles, experiences, and contributions. During a time when access to healthcare was limited or nonexistent, nurses played a prominent role in the health and well-being of Appalachian communities. Archival materials, reports, journals, personal letters, memoirs, and oral histories provide insight into the nurses' activities, dedication, resilience, and innovation in delivering early healthcare care to rural and isolated Appalachian communities"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This work provides an in-depth examination of early healthcare and the evolution of professional nursing in the heart of Appalachia. Existing histories of Appalachian healthcare tend to focus on physicians, with little written about the evolution of nursing in the region and the nurses' roles, experiences, and contributions. During a time when access to healthcare was limited or nonexistent, nurses played a prominent role in the health and well-being of Appalachian communities. Archival materials, reports, journals, personal letters, memoirs, and oral histories provide insight into the nurses' activities, dedication, resilience, and innovation in delivering early healthcare care to rural and isolated Appalachian communities.

Review Quotes

"This chronicle of the history of nursing in Appalachia (1890-1960) first provides a foundational history of the development of American professional nursing in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and then traces nursing's development in the primary core of southern and central Appalachia. Other than Mary Breckinridge and her work in establishing the Frontier Nursing Services, there has been a void in the written history of nursing's progression in this region. Loury's weaving together of the sociocultural, political, and demographic factors that influenced nursing's role and the development of hospitals and medicine in these isolated, rural communities adds greatly to the history of rural nursing. The interrelationship of East Coast nursing graduates and their work in the region, as well as women from these rural areas and their travel to eastern cities for nursing education, contributes to a better understanding of nursing, especially as it is embedded in the cultural history of the region.... Bridging this cultural hurdle was key to successfully integrating professional nursing care into these populations....recommended"--Choice

About the Author

Sharon Loury is an associate professor of nursing at East Tennessee State University and has taught nursing for 29 years. She served as the ETSU College of Nursing's historian where she developed the college's history in celebration of their 60th anniversary and has presented on the history of nursing at numerous local, regional, and international conferences.