NURS 110 | Introduction to Professional Nursing | Nursing History &
Evolution of the Profession 2026 |WCU
1. Which individual is credited with being the first nursing researcher for her
data collection and statistical analysis during the Crimean War?
A. Mary Seacole
B. Clara Barton
C. Florence Nightingale
D. Dorothea Dix
Answer: C
Rationale: Florence Nightingale’s use of statistics to demonstrate that improved sanitation
decreased mortality rates established her as the first nurse researcher.
2. The Henry Street Settlement, founded by Lillian Wald, was significant because
it:
A. Focused exclusively on surgical nursing.
B. Established the first collegiate nursing program.
C. Trained nurses for military service during the Civil War.
D. Provided community-based care and addressed social determinants of health.
Answer: D
Rationale: Lillian Wald is considered the founder of public health nursing through the
Henry Street Settlement, which targeted the needs of the immigrant poor in New York City.
,3. Which report, published in 1923, concluded that nursing education should be
moved to universities and that students should not be used as free hospital
labor?
A. The Brown Report
B. The Flexner Report
C. The Woodhull Study
D. The Goldmark Report
Answer: D
Rationale: The Goldmark Report identified that hospital-based diploma programs were
inadequate and recommended moving nursing education to a university setting.
4. Mary Eliza Mahoney is recognized in nursing history for which
accomplishment?
A. Founding the American Red Cross.
B. Writing the first nursing textbook.
C. Becoming the first African American professionally educated nurse in the United States.
D. Leading the suffrage movement for nurses.
Answer: C
Rationale: Mahoney graduated from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in
1879, becoming the first Black nurse to earn a professional license.
5. According to Patricia Benner’s ‘Novice to Expert’ model, a nurse who has
been in the same clinical position for 2 to 3 years and begins to see actions in
the context of long-range goals is at which stage?
A. Competent
B. Advanced Beginner
C. Proficient
D. Expert
Answer: A
, Rationale: The Competent nurse typically has 2-3 years of experience and is able to
prioritize tasks by recognizing patterns and long-term goals.
6. Which nursing pioneer established the Frontier Nursing Service in rural
Kentucky?
A. Margaret Sanger
B. Mary Breckinridge
C. Lavinia Dock
D. Isabel Hampton Robb
Answer: B
Rationale: Mary Breckinridge established the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 to provide
primary care and midwifery to the Appalachian population.
7. The 1948 Brown Report ‘Nursing for the Future’ was pivotal because it:
A. Recommended that all nursing schools be nationally accredited.
B. Suggested that men be excluded from nursing.
C. Established the first Nurse Practice Act.
D. Advocated for the removal of the NCLEX examination.
Answer: A
Rationale: The Brown Report, authored by Esther Lucile Brown, criticized the quality of
nursing schools and recommended accreditation and university-based education.
8. In the late 19th century, the ‘Sairy Gamp’ image of nursing, derived from a
Charles Dickens character, represented nurses as:
A. Angels of Mercy.
B. Highly educated professionals.
C. Drunken, uneducated, and neglectful workers.
D. Disciplined military servants.
Answer: C
Evolution of the Profession 2026 |WCU
1. Which individual is credited with being the first nursing researcher for her
data collection and statistical analysis during the Crimean War?
A. Mary Seacole
B. Clara Barton
C. Florence Nightingale
D. Dorothea Dix
Answer: C
Rationale: Florence Nightingale’s use of statistics to demonstrate that improved sanitation
decreased mortality rates established her as the first nurse researcher.
2. The Henry Street Settlement, founded by Lillian Wald, was significant because
it:
A. Focused exclusively on surgical nursing.
B. Established the first collegiate nursing program.
C. Trained nurses for military service during the Civil War.
D. Provided community-based care and addressed social determinants of health.
Answer: D
Rationale: Lillian Wald is considered the founder of public health nursing through the
Henry Street Settlement, which targeted the needs of the immigrant poor in New York City.
,3. Which report, published in 1923, concluded that nursing education should be
moved to universities and that students should not be used as free hospital
labor?
A. The Brown Report
B. The Flexner Report
C. The Woodhull Study
D. The Goldmark Report
Answer: D
Rationale: The Goldmark Report identified that hospital-based diploma programs were
inadequate and recommended moving nursing education to a university setting.
4. Mary Eliza Mahoney is recognized in nursing history for which
accomplishment?
A. Founding the American Red Cross.
B. Writing the first nursing textbook.
C. Becoming the first African American professionally educated nurse in the United States.
D. Leading the suffrage movement for nurses.
Answer: C
Rationale: Mahoney graduated from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in
1879, becoming the first Black nurse to earn a professional license.
5. According to Patricia Benner’s ‘Novice to Expert’ model, a nurse who has
been in the same clinical position for 2 to 3 years and begins to see actions in
the context of long-range goals is at which stage?
A. Competent
B. Advanced Beginner
C. Proficient
D. Expert
Answer: A
, Rationale: The Competent nurse typically has 2-3 years of experience and is able to
prioritize tasks by recognizing patterns and long-term goals.
6. Which nursing pioneer established the Frontier Nursing Service in rural
Kentucky?
A. Margaret Sanger
B. Mary Breckinridge
C. Lavinia Dock
D. Isabel Hampton Robb
Answer: B
Rationale: Mary Breckinridge established the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 to provide
primary care and midwifery to the Appalachian population.
7. The 1948 Brown Report ‘Nursing for the Future’ was pivotal because it:
A. Recommended that all nursing schools be nationally accredited.
B. Suggested that men be excluded from nursing.
C. Established the first Nurse Practice Act.
D. Advocated for the removal of the NCLEX examination.
Answer: A
Rationale: The Brown Report, authored by Esther Lucile Brown, criticized the quality of
nursing schools and recommended accreditation and university-based education.
8. In the late 19th century, the ‘Sairy Gamp’ image of nursing, derived from a
Charles Dickens character, represented nurses as:
A. Angels of Mercy.
B. Highly educated professionals.
C. Drunken, uneducated, and neglectful workers.
D. Disciplined military servants.
Answer: C
