Interview with Ruth Coates Beeman, February 16, 1994

Interview Summary

The interview covers 1957-1994 [cf. ACNM 19]. Beeman was involved in accreditation of nurse and nurse midwifery graduate level programs at university schools of nursing. Her association with MCA and ACNM was vital for the achievement of these goals. From 1957-1959, she developed the graduate program in maternity nursing at IU. At the ACNM workshop at IU, it was decided to upgrade nurse midwifery education to a graduate level university education and programs were developed at Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins MPH program, MCA within SUNY. 1960-1962, Beeman was associated with the Kings County/Downstate program within SUNY. As the chair of the ACNM accreditation committee, she studied the NLN-National League for Nursing's criteria and adapted that framework for accreditation through ACNM. ACNM also worked with NCA-National Commission on Accreditation. In 1963, Beeman switched to the NY Medical College/ Metropolitan Hospital graduate program within CUNY which gained importance with the new concept of the clinical nurse specialist in advanced practice. Another concept was that of the generic Masters and the advanced clinical Masters within clinical specialties. The latter was not recognized at the graduate level, reserved for teaching, consultation, or administration alone. In 1970, she became a consultant for the NY State Department of Health on MCH-Maternal and Child Health funds and established FP workshops and institutes. By 1976, they staffed FP clinics through these institutes. Beeman moved to be on the faculty at AZ State University in Maternity Nursing. 1977-1982, she was a consultant of the AZ State Health Department. She then was asked by her former student from SUNY Downstate, Ruth Watson Lubic, CNM, EdD, FAAN, FACNM, to become program director at FNS and helped implement Kitty/Eunice Ernst's, CNM, MPH, FACNM, concept of CNEP from 1983-present.

Interview LC Subject

Beeman, Ruth Coates Beeman, Ruth Coates--Interviews Childbirth Maternal health services Midwifery Midwives Nursing--Study and teaching

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