An analysis of history of nursing textbooks, 1907-1955: A relationship between decisions which fostered the development of nursing and images of nursing, 1870-190

The purpose of this study is to explore a relationship between decisions made by early leaders of modern nursing and the impact of the images of nursing on those decisions. This exploration was carried out by analyzing texts of nursing history published from 1907 to 1955. These texts are the first texts written about the history of nursing by nurse historians.;The years 1870 to 1900 were chosen to analyze for a relationship between decisions made to develop the profession of nursing and the impact of images of nursing on these decisions as these years are clearly identified by nurse historians as the beginning of modern or professional nursing.;The exploration of this relationship was done by analysis of the decisions identified and the images described within the texts of nursing history. The analysis was done utilizing Alcoff's concept of positionality as a feminist perspective.;Five decisions related to the development of modern nursing were identified as being present in all texts examined. Images of nursing described in these same texts were identified and the relationship between the two was analyzed.;The impact of the images of nursing on decisions made to develop the profession from 1870 to 1900 has contemporary application related to decisions that will be made to continue to develop the profession of nursing.