McGill graduate Helen Mussallem’s 1960 survey of Canadian nursing schools changed the educational landscape
Helen Mussallem (B.N. 1947) was a distinguished alumni of McGill’s School for Graduate Nurses. A native of British Columbia, she graduated from the school of nursing at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and worked at the hospital before serving in England during World War II. After the war, she returned to Canada and VGH. She also enrolled at McGill, and several years after receiving her Bachelor degree, she completed a Master of Arts in Nursing at Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
In 1957, Mussallem accepted an offer from the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) to carry out a national survey of nursing schools, a pilot study that was intended to lead to a full process of accreditation for all schools in Canada. The work involved extensive travel, and close to 2,000 interviews with people at 25 different training schools.
The final report, titled Spotlight on Nursing Education, was submitted in 1960 and its findings were startling. The study concluded that 21 of the 25 schools surveyed failed to meet the established standards. The report made sweeping recommendations for a complete overhaul of the system and led to significant changes including transferring training from hospitals to post-secondary institutions. It established Mussallem as a leading thinker in nursing education. The report also led to the eventual unionization of nurses in Canada.
Mussallem continued on the work done for Spotlight on Nursing Education by conducting a nursing education survey for Canada’s Royal Commission on Health Services, also known as the Hall Commission. After the Commission released its full report, which included recommendations on nursing education, a number of baccalaureate nursing programs were established across the country.