Nursing Vintage Postage Stamp Print is a photograph by Andy Prendy which was uploaded on June 4th, 2013.
Nursing Vintage Postage Stamp Print
December 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of the United States Postal Service's (USPS) issuing of this now iconic 4 cent Nursing postage stamp. This... more
by Andy Prendy
Title
Nursing Vintage Postage Stamp Print
Artist
Andy Prendy
Medium
Photograph - Photographic Print
Description
December 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of the United States Postal Service's (USPS) issuing of this now iconic 4 cent Nursing postage stamp. This stamp has served many as a symbol of nursing's continued growth as a profession and relevance in the world of healthcare. (text adapted from www.rncentral.com) The stamp's issuance in 1961 commemorated the 100th anniversary of nurse training in this country, for it was in 1861 that the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia opened as the first chartered school for nursing. The stamp features a nursing student lighting a candle. It is a common practice for nursing student to light a candle during their pinning ceremony as a symbol of the "passing of the flame" from Florence Nightingale to each new nurse.
Invitations to the unveiling went to the elite in nursing across the country including the head officers of the American Nurses Association, the National League of Nurses, the American Medical Association and the National Student Nurses Association to name a few.
The USPS ran 100,000 of the stamps at the first printing, but the demand was so great they had to issue another 25 million. What makes this event even more important than a single stamp is the cooperation achieved between professional nurses and nursing organizations and how they garnered public support for this historic four cent postage stamp.
The stamp itself is very much a keepsake and a collectable for many, but its image is also used to represent nursing in other realms as well. At UTHSC SON the stamp is used as the logo for their PARTNERS program. PARTNERS was formed in 1994 and through its fund raising events and gifts the group has awarded 86 full-tuition scholarships and funded four endowed professorships at the nursing school.
So, while it may appear old fashioned (note the nurse's cap and pinafore) and its four cent value won't get a letter anywhere, this simple sticky bit of paper has become a national symbol of a profession that continues to grow and develop and is more relevant today than ever.
Uploaded
June 4th, 2013
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