History

The University of British Columbia is the first university in Canada to offer a nursing degree program. The UBC School of Nursing has a proud history of nursing education and scholarship. Ethel Johns, one of Canada's internationally recognized nursing leaders, was the first Director of the School in 1919.

A university-based nursing program leading to a baccalaureate degree at UBC was recognized in Canada as a giant step toward expanding the science and scholarship inherent in nursing. Such social forces as the women's movement, the public health movement, the formation of a province-wide nursing association, the onset of a major influenza epidemic and the explicit support from several influential physicians contributed to the conditions for this new kind of nursing education.

In 2004, the School held a gala to celebrate our 85th anniversary. Click here to read Honouring Our Elders, a brief history of the School up to this point.

More information on the School’s rich history can be obtained through its Nursing History Office, which serves as the current home to the Nursing History Society.

Legacy: History of Nursing Education at the University of British Columbia, 1919-1994 (Glennis Zilm and Ethel Warbinek, UBC Press)

Legacy tells the story of nursing education at UBC from the program’s inception in 1919 to its 75th anniversary in 1994.

Organized according to the terms of the six extraordinary women who directed the School during its development and maturation, the authors discuss significant social, political, economic, educational, cultural, scientific/technological and gender issues, while also identifying themes and trends, uncovering new relationships, and suggesting new theories and insights. Legacy will appeal to both graduates of the School and broader audiences, including those interested in the history of nursing, of UBC and of health care in British Columbia.

Both authors are graduates of UBC's School of Nursing. Glennis Zilm went on to a career as a writer, editor and journalist. Ethel Warbinek became a faculty member and has had a long association with the School. Both are active members of provincial and national history of nursing associations.

Copies of Legacy may be obtained through the Director's Office for a donation of $20 to the School of Nursing. For information, please email DirectorsOffice@nursing.ubc.ca.