Final answer:
The experience of nursing students a century ago was marked by an increase in educated women entering the field and a glass ceiling limiting advancements. Education and training were less structured and technology-based than today. Changes in societal norms and technologies have strongly influenced the evolution of nursing education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The experience of nursing students a century ago differed greatly from the experience of modern nursing students due to several historical and educational factors. In the early 20th century, the role of nursing was evolving, and the establishment of mandatory school attendance laws along with an influx of educated women entering the field marked a significant transition in healthcare and educational norms. Female high school graduates and college students began to outnumber their male counterparts, with 47 percent of college students being women in the roaring 20s.
However, despite the growing presence of women in education and nursing, there was a glass ceiling, with a majority being teachers but only a few serving as principals. By 1922, women who had served as nursing sisters in World War I had been demobilized, with some continuing to build careers in medicine. The firsthand experiences of these women and their subsequent careers signify a bridging period where the field of nursing shifted from a vocation driven by wartime necessity to a professional and academic discipline.
Compared to a century ago, modern nursing education is much more structured, incorporating rigorous academic curricula and requiring extensive clinical training. Additionally, today’s nursing students have access to advanced technologies, diverse clinical settings, and evidence-based practices shaping their schooling journey. Racial relations, societal pressures, and city life have all changed in various ways, directly and indirectly influencing the landscape of nursing education over time.