FIU Nursing Inaugurates South Florida’s First Nursing Archives

Collection Documenting More Than 100 Years of South Florida Nursing History
To Be Permanently Housed at Florida International University

MIAMI, FL — On October 18th, members of the professional and academic nursing communities gathered to commemorate the inauguration of the first-ever South Florida Nursing Archives at Florida International University’s (FIU) Green Library on the University Park Campus.

The evening’s celebration, presented by FIU College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Miami Children’s Hospital, Florida Nurses Association District 5 and Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future, featured a cocktail reception, a book signing by authors Christine Ardalan and Dr. Pat Messmer of their latest collaboration Private Duty Nurse: Undine Sams – Power, Passion & Political Action, and a special exhibition of various historical nursing artifacts, photographs and documents representative of the Archives spanning more than 100 years.

“By establishing the South Florida Nursing Archives here at FIU, we’ve taken an important step in recording the history of nursing in South Florida for generations to come,” said Divina Grossman, dean of the FIU College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  “That history contains invaluable lessons and perspectives on nursing that will benefit not just our FIU Nursing students, but anyone with an interest in the history of the nursing profession in South Florida,” she said, noting that the contents of the archives can be accessed by anyone.

The South Florida Nursing Archives, which will be permanently housed at the Green Library, is exclusively dedicated to preserving South Florida’s nursing history.  Through Ardalan’s efforts and with funding support from the North Dade Medical Foundation, Health Foundation of South Florida and Infusion Technologies, Inc, the Archives were established to preserve artifacts, documents, photographs, books, notes, tools and many other items that together chronicle more than a century of nursing throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.

Special guests in attendance to celebrate the occasion were legendary Florida nurses Willie Pearl Porter, 28-year nurse supervisor at Florida A&M Hospital, and Nurses’ Civil Rights trailblazer Thelma Gibson.  Both were able to share their stories with young FIU nursing students at the event and donated items to the special exhibit.

See Event Photos

About the FIU College of Nursing & Health Sciences: Established in 1982, the School of Nursing at Florida International University (FIU) was elevated in October 2006 into the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.  It is the second-largest producer of nursing professionals in the State, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, baccalaureate completion and specialty programs in nursing education.  The College is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Florida State Board of Nursing and the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.  Based in Miami, Florida, the College of Nursing & Health Sciences is a part of Florida International University, a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution with a Carnegie Foundation classification as a doctoral, research extensive university. FIU has ranked among the top 100 public national universities by U.S. News & World Reports.