Continuing the Women’s History Month Celebration is Dr. Florence Meda Gipe. Dr. Gipe joined the University of Maryland as the Director of Nursing Service and Nursing Education at the University Hospital in February 1946 after serving in several educational and director positions at nursing training schools at York Hospital, Providence Hospital and Reading Hospital.  After accepting the role of director, Dr. Gipe began to challenge the existing educational standards of the University Hospital’s Nursing Training School.  She believed nursing education should move towards more traditional academic methods away from the existing training model; in other words, she proposed nursing schools have more formal lectures, group discussions, and theory in addition to hands-on clinical training.  She was angered by the menial tasks traditionally assigned to nurses and wanted the profession to undertake more challenging responsibilities such as taking blood pressure or give injections.   Continue reading →