Saga – Luther Christman – Part 1

This episode of the NLN Nursing EDge Unscripted Saga track is part one of two celebrating the life of Luther Christman. The podcast highlights Dr. Christman's tireless advocacy for male and minority nurses and his pioneering work in advancing nursing education. As the first dean of Rush University College of Nursing, he developed a unified pedagogical approach combining academia with clinical practice, setting a new standard for nursing education. Dr. Christman also founded the National Male Nurse Association, which became the American Assembly for Men in Nursing. The episode explores his early life, challenges faced as a male nurse, and his journey in academia, setting the stage for part two which will delve deeper into his contributions and lasting influence on the profession.

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Transcript

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Welcome to Nursing EDge Unscripted Saga as we use stories to connect the past to  the present and then our future as we reimagine our teaching and learning.  As we celebrate the NLN Year of the Nurse Educator, we pay tribute to extraordinary nurses who've made  significant contributions to nursing education. We dive into the stories of nurse educators who  recognized a need, challenged traditional customs, and influenced transformative change.  Over the past nine months, we have highlighted the remarkable contributions  of an extraordinary group of nurse leaders who were instrumental in the National League  for Nursing education reform effort also referred to as the Curriculum Revolution.  These reformers, through their combined endeavors, brought nursing education into a new, more modern  era - one that questioned long-standing traditional pedagogies and allowed for the creation of  visionary ideas and forward-thinking innovation. This month we celebrate the contributions of  another prominent nursing reformer, Dr. Luther Christman. Throughout his nursing career, Dr.  Christman was a tireless advocate for the hiring and training of male and minority nurses, as well  as a pioneer in the advancement and elevation of nursing education. He was the first dean of  the Rush University College of Nursing, where he developed a new educational model that promoted a  unified pedagogical approach to nursing education, combining academia with clinical practice.  This groundbreaking work not only established Dr Christman as a nursing leader, but it set a  new standard for nursing education both within the United States and abroad.  Dr. Christman may best be known for helping to establish the National Male Nurse Association,  which ultimately became the American Assembly for Men in Nursing in 1981.  Dr. Christman was born on February 16, 1915 in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania. The oldest of five children, he  grew up in a small town. Once he began attending school, he developed into a voracious reader  with a passion for learning. In fact, Luther's town librarian once commented that he checked out more  books than anyone else she knew. After graduating high school, Dr. Christman had few prospects given  the economic landscape of the Great Depression and his own family's financial situation.  Unable to find steady employment, a local minister suggested that he pursue nursing as a profession  since, at the time, students not only worked for their training but were given a small stipend.  This made nursing education a feasible option not only for himself but also for his high school  sweetheart, Dorothy Black, whom he intended to marry. So Luther and Dorothy soon moved to Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania where they each enrolled in a nursing diploma program. He at the Pennsylvania Hospital  School of Nursing for Men while she studied at the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing.  Dr. Christman graduated from nursing school in 1939 and married Dorothy the same year.  As a new graduate nurse in a profession mostly comprised of women, Dr. Christman soon  discovered what it meant to be part of the minority. Having been denied admission into a  local university's nursing program as well as entry into the Army Nurse Corps, Luther  enlisted in the Merchant Marine where he became a pharmacist mate, first class during World War II.  During his time as a Merchant Marine, Dr. Christman wrote numerous letters to U.S government officials  pleading for them to allow men to serve in the military as nurses. In one such letter he wrote:  Yet despite Dr. Christman's best efforts, men continued to be denied the opportunity to  serve in the Army Nurse Corps throughout World War II. In fact, this policy was not changed until  the 1960s when the military finally allowed men to be commissioned as nursing officers.  Following the war, Dr. Christman left the Merchant Marine, enrolled in a university nursing program,  and ultimately earned his baccalaureate degree from Temple University in 1948. He then went  on to secure a teaching position at the School of Nursing Camden Hospital in Camden New Jersey. Thus  began Dr. Chrisman's journey in academia, a setting where he would have a significant impact, earning  a reputation as a visionary leader as well as a champion for the advancement of nursing education.  Yet, several of his ideas were controversial, causing some to view him as an "educational  maverick." Please join us for part two of this series where we will further explore  Dr. Christman's career in academia, his many contributions to the nursing profession, and  his lasting influence on education. And so the Saga continues and may our Saga continue as we bring to  a close this episode of Nursing EDge Unscripted Saga. Thank you for joining us