Hildegard Peplau

Hildegard Peplau's 50-year career in nursing left an indelible stamp on the profession of nursing, and on the lives of the mentally ill in America. Her determined manner often aroused controversy which never deterred her commitment to advancing the nursing profession.

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Hildegard Peplau's 50-year career in nursing left an indelible stamp on the profession of nursing, and on the lives of the mentally ill in this country. She wore many hats -- founder of modern psychiatric nursing, innovative educator, advocate for the mentally ill, proponent of advanced education for nurses, Executive Director and then President of the American Nurses Association, and prolific author. She raised her daughter as a single parent while pursuing an ambitious professional path. Her determined manner often aroused controversy which never deterred her commitment to advancing the nursing profession.