A brief history of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools: shaping policy through collaboration.

In the late 1960s many foreign nurses arriving in New York City were unable to pass the New York State Board licensing examination. In this article, the author explains how a group of leaders and organizations proceeded systematically to address this problem through effective policy development. The process is presented from the establishment of a local program to meet the needs of this group of nurses to the creation of a national commission to oversee issues encountered by professionals seeking employment in the United States.

Access to graduate education for registered nurses with nonnursing baccalaureate degrees.

This article reports a study to evaluate an option for alternate access to graduate nursing education for 85 registered nurses with nonnursing baccalaureate degrees. Using the National League for Nursing Comprehensive Achievement Test (NLN-CAT) to assess knowledge together with successful completion of a special course designed by the faculty, these applicants were admitted to an accredited graduate program in the Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN), Pace University, Pleasantville, NY. The study describes 6 full years of experience using this option.

Breaking away: how District 16, New York State Nurses Association got started.

This paper will describe the series of events from 1938-1942 that led to the creation of a new district for nurses in Westchester County. Historical data on the context of nursing are included. Primary sources from the archives of NYSNA District 13 and 16 provided the background information.