Which nurse significantly improved nursing education by lengthening Johns Hopkins' nursing program from 2 to 3 years and helped establish the American Journal of Nursing in 1900?

• A. Mary Adelaide Nutting
• B. Lillian Wald
• C. Mary Breckenridge
• D. Florence Nightingale

Answer: (A)

This item tests recognition of a pivotal figure in advancing nursing education and professional communication. Mary Adelaide Nutting led the push to transform nursing education into a university-based, more rigorous path. She helped lengthen Johns Hopkins’ nursing program from two years to three, aligning nursing training with higher education standards and enabling more comprehensive preparation for professional practice. She also helped establish the American Journal of Nursing in 1900, creating a formal venue for research, education, and professional standards that supported nursing as a scholarly discipline.

The other figures are notable for different contributions: Lillian Wald is renowned for public health nursing and social reform, Mary Breckenridge for frontier midwifery and rural health care, and Florence Nightingale for pioneering modern nursing in the 19th century. Their work did not center on extending a university nursing program or founding the AJN in 1900, making Nutting the best fit for this combination of achievements.