Preferred Citation

University of Virginia School of Nursing, Eleanor Crowder Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing Records

Biographical / Historical

(Information provided by ASTDN published history)The Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing dates it beginnings to the establishment in 1935 of a public health nursing unit in the United States Public Health Service, State Relations Division. This unit provided consultants to state and local health authorities in promoting public health nursing services and education. That same year, the USPHS consultants initiated a conference with state directors of public health nursing, and these state directors formed their own council with officers and annual meetings. The directors continued to meet and work closely with the USPHS in improving and expanding local nursing services, as well as to pursue their own agenda by meeting separately. In 1964 the organization was officially named the Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing, and it became an affiliate of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN) was formed on July 1, 2012, replacing ASTDN. Over the years the membership was expanded to include public health nurses at all levels and others interested in public health nursing. The name of the association was changed to better reflect the expanded membership.

Membership in the Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing is comprised of the nurse directors that officially represent public health nursing in their respective states, territories, and the District of Columbia. As an independent organization and in concert with other public health and nursing groups, ASTDN works to promote national health programs; establish guidelines for states and territories in setting standards for public health nursing services; identify and promote methods of improving the education, utilization and distribution of public health nurses; elicit the cooperation of national governmental and voluntary agencies related to nursing; support and advocate for public health nurses in leadership roles; and direct efforts to market public health nursing.

Scope and Contents

The materials in this collection consist of administrative documents generated by ASTDN, including correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, bylaws, newsletters, and historical data. The early years of the organization are not represented in the collection, which dates from 1985, although a historical summary dating back to 1935 is included. The ASTDN Papers document the expanding activities and agenda of the organization, as it has acted as an agent in shaping the role and status of the public health nurse.

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into three series, reflecting the administrative structure and activities of the organization:

Series 1: Administrative: By laws, membership lists, meeting minutes and reports

Series 2: Correspondence and related documents:

Series 3: Publications and reports, by ASTDN and other organizations Folders are organized and labeled first by general series, then by a subseries subject heading, then sequential folder number within each subseries.