Interview with Catherine Shean, June 29, 1992
Project: American College of Nurse Midwives Oral History Project
Interview Summary
The early history of ACNM is described. One of Hazel Corbin's goals (MCA-Maternity Center Association 1923-1965) had been for nurse midwives to become supervisors of OB departments and this made centers like CMI-Catholic Maternity Institute necessary. In addition, nurse midwives had been defined as providers of maternity service by the New Mexico Health Department and the Society of Catholic Medical Mission Sisters (Dr. Anna Dengel). Following, Sister Theophane/Agnes Reinders and Sister Helen Herb were sent to MCA, New York, for nurse midwife training and, in 1942, to Santa Fe to start CMI. Sister Shean mentions Hemschemeyer's deep involvement with these events by 1947. The cooperation between MCA and CMI was important in furthering the independence of nurse midwives. Between 1945-1959, Hemschemeyer and Reinders developed a core curriculum. Others remembered are M.E. Hosford and M.I. Crawford at Hopkins and Helen Brown.Sister Shean describes problems in 1955: no budget for nurse midwives, limited employment opportunities, their expertise was not recognized. They were not sure to be granted independence by the ANA-American Nurses Association. It was at their meeting that ACNM was formed to provide a national platform for nurse midwives that was not as restrictive as FNS-Frontier Nursing Service.
Sister Shean had been on the Board of Directors of ACNM. She was asked to reorganize the goals of nurse midwives and employed MDI- Management Design Inc. to redefine them. The new focus was to unite nurse midwives, increase efficiency and proficiency. Sister Shean concludes that issues still are "the safety and dignity of mothers, and economy".
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Shean, Catherine Interview by Irene Matousek. 29 Jun. 1992. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Shean, C. (1992, June 29). Interview by I. Matousek. American College of Nurse Midwives Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Shean, Catherine, interview by Irene Matousek. June 29, 1992, American College of Nurse Midwives Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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