In the mid-1800s, Florence Nightingale recognized the unique focus of nursing knowledge based on the care of persons and their surroundings as a different knowledge base than the used by physicians. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s, that nursing knowledge started to develop as a science to guide nursing practice, and this brought the need for the development of nursing theory and the recognition of nursing as a profession. As a result, the nursing evolution in specialized basis for practice was achieved in successive eras that lead the transition of nursing vocation to a profession (Alligood, p. 3, 2014).
In the curriculum era, in the mid-1930s, a standardized curriculum was adopted by many diploma programs and nursing education was transferred from hospitals to colleges and universities. As a result, nurses acquired education and knowledge and got involved in research process to base their practice. This marked the beginning of the research era. As more nurse leaders engage in higher education and research for new nursing knowledge, a new goal of master’s and doctoral education for nurses was set.
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Master’s degree programs in nursing introduced students to research process, early nursing theorists and knowledge development processes. Also,