Minnie Goodnow

Outlines of Nursing History Minnie Goodnow

Minnie Goodnow was born on July 10, 1871 in Albion, New York. She dedicated her life to leadership in nursing -- working, teaching and as a historian of the field. During World War I she joined the Harvard Unit of American medical practitioners and worked in military hospitals in England and France. She wrote a great deal about her experiences there, particularly for the need of professional nurse education. Upon returning to the United States, she continued to write and lecture on this and other topics. Some of her books include Ten Lessons in Chemistry for Nurses (1914), Outlines of Nursing History (1916), War Nursing (1918), Practical Physics for Nurses (1919), and The Technic of Nursing (1928).

She often served as the superintendent of nurses in hospitals, including those in Rhode Island, Michigan, Colorado and in Washington DC. She was an organizing member of the Congress of the International Council of Nurses in Paris. Goodnow traveled to over forty countries to lecture, teach and do research for her books. She passed away at the age of 80, renowned as a pioneer in the field of nursing and nursing education.

This new edition is dedicated to Dr María Pérez, scholar and teacher.