The Leaf and the Lamp The Canadian Nurses' Association and the influences which shaped its origins and outlook during its first sixty years. CAKADIAN NURSES' ASSOClATIO so The Driveway Ottawa 4, Canada 1968 © Canadian Nurses' Association, 1968 Printed in Canada $3.00 THE LEAF AND THE LAMP How it Began The name of Jeanne Mance evokes the reminder that the practice of nursing in Canada is as old as the country itself. A roll-call of the most recent graduates offers ample evidence that this vital, tradition-rich profession is progressive, still young, and an essential element in the colorful mosaic of peoples, cultures and events which have elevated Canada to her contemporary position in the world family of nations. The reputation of nursing as an occupation is enshrined in its long history of service. Its current stature as a profession in Canada was made possible by the formation in 1908 of the Canadian Nurses' Association, an organization capable of exercising professional responsibilities. As the CNA approached its diamond anniversary, the decision was made to prepare a sequel to The First Fifty Years - an abbreviated record of significant events - that was published by the CNA in 1958. The accelerated pace of nursing events in the intervening decade, and the risk of some historical facts receding beyond recall, suggested that a sequel to The First Fifty Years could be made most useful if it amplified certain aspects of the past and present. From this concept emerged The Leaf and The Lamp. The Leaf and The Lamp is a contemporary and historical overview of the Canadian Nurses' Association and, as such, records some events not basically part of CNA activities but pertinent to them. The main purpose of the book is to identify the functions of nursing in Canada at a time of rapid change in our society and, by reference to the past, to indicate the consistency of the organized profession's approach to present and future sinlations. Helen K. Mussallem, BN., M.A., Ed.D. Executive Director Canadian Nurses' Association Ottawa, Canada 1968 (vii) Contents Page INTRODUCTION ......................•.................•..... xi I. COMMITMENT TO SERVICE. ................................... 1 Nursing Service ................................................. 1 Nursing Education 3 Social and Economic Welfare . ..................................... 8 Canadian Nurses' Foundation ,,.. .. 10 Information Services. ......................................... .. 11 International .........................•......................... 14 Some Statistics ... ,............................................. 17 CNA - How It Works 19 National Office - CNA House. .............. .• ................. .. 23 Summary and Preface ,....... .. 25 II. TRADITIONS AND UNITY 27 The Early Years ............................................... .. 27 Florence Nightingale and Later. ................................. .. 30 Emergence of National Groups ,,,........ .. 34 III. TEN-TO-ONE 41 Newfoundland .......................................... .. 41 Prince Edward Island ,, ,...... .. 43 Nova Scotia 44 New Brunswick ............................................... .. 46 Quebec. ......... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. 48 Ontario. .......... .. .. ........ .. ..... .. .. .. 50 Manitoba 52 Saskatchewan _ ,................... 53 Alberta. ............ .. .. .• ..... •. ... .. ... ...... .. ... .. .. 55 British Columbia ,,............................... .. 57 IV. ON THE NATIONAL SCENE.................................... 61 A Federal Framework ,......... .. 61 Nursing in the Armed Forces 63 A Community of Interests . ..................................... .. 65 Victorian Order of Nurses ,,,................... .. 65 Canadian Red Cross ....................................... .. 67 Order of St. John. ......................................... .. 68 (ixl Page V. FOOTNOTES TO HISTORY. ....... •.... .. .. .. .. 71 CNA Professional Magazines 71 CNATN-CNA Founding Members ............................ .. .. 73 ICN Overtures ............................•..•................ .. 74 CNA Honorary Awards. .. .................... .. 75 CNAT -CNA Presidents. ..................... .• ............ .. 77 CNATN-CNA Executive Secretaries/Directors 79 CNATN-CNA General Meetings " 79 While on Active Service ,...................... .. 80 VI. MILESTONES TO THE PRESENT ........•..•.....•.............. 83 CNA OBJECTIVES . 99 PROVINCIAL REGISTERED NURSES' ASSOCIATIONS ........•.... 101 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................•.... 103 REFERENCES .......................•...•.....•..•.....•....... 104 (x) Introduction The present era is characterized by the explosion of knowledge that is rapidly applied to every facet of Canadian life, including education and the health sciences. More than ever, preparation for the future requires the ability to utilize new scientific knowledge as it is discovered. Today'5 focus must be beamed at the next decade and beyond. Society has undergone profound changes within a short space of time and the nursing profession has been alert and responsive to this momentum. Integrated as it is in the very fiber of society, responsible to a considerable degree for the physical and mental well-being of that society, the nursing profession in Canada has become involved in the shaping of events affecting its future. Canadian nursing aims at providing a high quality of nursing care to those who need it. To this end the profession is re-examining the educational processes which are required to develop the desired competence. It is also seeking to secure and maintain the economic status of nurses at a level competitive with comparable professions. The future is built upon achievements of the past. The devotion, efforts and vision of many distinguished nurses have brought Canadian nursing to a point where it is facing the challenge of change to maintain high standards of service. The goal of exceUence can only be achieved by continuous self-examination, redefi­ nition of aims, and searching for the most adequate means to achieve them. Towards this end the Canadian Nurses' Association undertook a survey in the late 1950's to determine the practicality of instituting a program of accreditation for schools of nursing in Canada. This project revealed stark weaknesses in the preparation of nurses. As a result certain convictions became crystallized and were put forth with a unity and force hitherto lacking. These are reflected in this triple objective: That the preparation of nurses be controlled by educational institutions rather than service units. That the educational levels in the profession reach a proportion of twenty-five per cent university-educated nurses to diploma nurses. That economic returns and working conditions be sufficiently appealing to attract and retain the number and quality of nursing personnel to meet the needs. The success of these endeavors requires nation-wide unity of purpose, qualified personnel and sufficient facilities for implementation. As a national federation of the ten provincial associations, the BO,OOo-member Canadian Nurses' Association has (x;) the means to provide effective r~search and consultant assistance to the provinces in their pursuit of present and future nursing objectives as well as on all matters pertinent to the profession. Sisler Mary Felicilas, B.5c., M.5c. President Canadian Nu.rses' Association Montreal 1968 (xii) I. Commitment to Service The usefulness of the profession of nursing emerges from the service its members provide to an increasingly health-conscious society. The usefulness of the Canadian Nurses' Association emerges from the nature and extent of the assistance it provides to nurses and others devoted to high-quality nursing service. Simply stated, the CNA is an organization formed by nurses as a means to achieve the ideals of Canadian nurses and Canadian nursing It is a challenging, many-faceted, constantly changing task. NURSING SERVICE The essential purpose of professional nursing is to contributer to the fullest extent made possible by nursing science, to the care of people and communities in sickness and in health. To achieve this, the profession must advance its knowledge and skills to keep pace with rapidly advancing knowledge and techniques in all phases of health and medicine. The nurses of Canada have continuously directed their knowledge and resources to the quest for excellence in nursing practice and service. The profession has established - in the Ottawa headquarters of the Canadian Nurses' Association - research and advisory facilities in nursing service which are available to member associations. Much of its current activity in this area is derived from recommenda­ tions of the CNA Project for the Evaluation of the Quality of Nursing Service, completed in 1965 and published by the CNA in 1966. To arrive at tenable conclusions on what constitutes ideal or acceptable standards of nursing care~ it is necessary to have some method for measuring current practice. This was a major contribution of the 1966 report: a preliminary phase of the study was to try to establish criteria which would make such measurement possible. In this effort, the first of its kind, the criteria inevitably fell short of the absolute, but did establish a basis for further progress. The ultimate assessment of nursing service comes into focus in the relationship between nurse and patient, but many circumstances affect the manner in which the nurse can exercise her abilities. Among these influences are the philosophy and objectives of the