The records of the Madison General Hospital School of Nursing are divided into two series: materials originating from the hospital and records created by the school of nursing. For both, the period 1966-1982 is well documented, but there are virtually no records for earlier years. Files in the collection containing information that is considered confidential under provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is restricted until 2042 and has been separately boxed. This material may be used, however, by researchers who certify in writing to the Archives that they will not release any personally identifiable information.
MADISON GENERAL HOSPITAL records (1973-1982) include committee materials and management directives that affected the school of nursing and a few printed items published by MGH.
MGH SCHOOL OF NURSING (1925-1982) files are much more extensive and include the following subseries: historical materials, accreditation, administration, course materials, faculty, organizations, registrar, and students and alumni.
Historical materials include histories of the school, microfilmed scrapbooks, the originals of which are in the possession of Meriter-Madison General Hospital, and a slide show and tape describing the school's history from 1903 to 1975.
Accreditation files (1925-1982) include correspondence, questionnaires, and reports to the National League of Nursing and to the State of Wisconsin, as well as the results of visits and site inspections.
Administration records (1954-1982) are quite extensive and include annual reports, committee minutes and related materials, files of the director and assistant director, and financial records. The best documented committees are admission and promotion, advisory committee on nursing education, curriculum, and long term planning. Portions of the admissions and promotion committee are restricted, as are letters of reference which may be found in the assistant director's files. Financial records include budgets, inventories, monthly management reports, and grants awarded by HEW to study gerontological nursing and by the Helen Fuld Foundation.
Course materials, mainly 1977-1982, constitute the largest subseries in the collection. The files are arranged by level, and include course descriptions and objectives, handouts, examinations, and evaluation forms. The best documented of the twelve course are the introductory, medical-surgical, mental health, administration, and professional responsibilities courses. In addition to the course materials, school catalogs, films, and lists of required textbooks have also been grouped here.
Faculty files (1952-1984) include committee files such as faculty organization, faculty/student, in-service, and lead instructors; handbooks and orientation materials; and personnel records. The personnel records, which comprise the bulk of this subseries, include information on benefits, questionnaires, student evaluations (restricted), and a faculty workload study. The union affiliation materials (1976-1984) include committee minutes, contracts, and reference material regarding the possible affiliation of the nursing school staff with the Wisconsin Nurses Association and the United Professionals for Quality Health Care.
The organizations subseries (1976-1982) is comprised of professional organizations with which the school of nursing was affiliated. Most extensive are the files on the National League of Nursing and the Wisconsin Nursing Network.
The registrar's files (1955-1982) include copies of forms and memoranda to students, an index to the microfilmed student transcripts held by Meriter-Madison General Hospital in their payroll department, test scores and rankings (restricted), and scholarship, tuition, and fee information.
Finally, students and alumni records (1926-1982) include alumni activities, freshman orientation, printed materials such as handbooks and yearbooks, materials on student organizations, and questionnaires about alumni and students.
