The Barbara Bates Center for The Study of The History of Nursing at Penn

02/18/2026

Pleased to see that the Bates Center's work is the headlining story in Penn Today:

A new exhibit at Penn’s Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing documents the long trajectory of nursing in America, going back to the Revolutionary War.

01/30/2026

Interested in learning more about 18th century healthcare and nursing practices? Make sure you register for this free event.

In 2026 the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania will open its year-long exhibition, Nurs...

01/21/2026

Visit our event page to learn more and to register for this in-person event: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/nursingtherevolution

01/14/2026

Excited to see our new exhibit getting a shout-out on today!

January 14 – November 20, 2026

12/19/2025

If you're going to be in the Philadelphia area this February 18th, 2026, please consider joining us for an exciting 1-day symposium, "Nursing the Revolution: Care Work in Revolutionary America."

In 2026 the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania will open its year-long exhibition, Nurs...

04/23/2025

https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/woodlandswalk2025

04/01/2025

Happening today!

Join us in person or online on Tuesday, April 1st at 4pm EDT for Dr. Wendy Kline's talk "Do I need to take a security guard to the gynecologist?": Sexual Misconduct and the Crisis in Reproductive Health Care in the U.S.

Why has the pelvic exam become a source of shame and fear? In this Bates Center seminar, Dr. Kline argues that the real problem has to do with the unaddressed, indeed silenced, stigma surrounding the practice of the routine gynecological exam.

Click to register: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/5097-do-i-need-to-take-a-security-guard-to-the-gynecologist-

03/21/2025

Join us in person or online on Tuesday, April 1st at 4pm EDT for Dr. Wendy Kline's talk "Do I need to take a security guard to the gynecologist?": Sexual Misconduct and the Crisis in Reproductive Health Care in the U.S.

Why has the pelvic exam become a source of shame and fear? In this Bates Center seminar, Dr. Kline argues that the real problem has to do with the unaddressed, indeed silenced, stigma surrounding the practice of the routine gynecological exam.

Click to register: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/5097-do-i-need-to-take-a-security-guard-to-the-gynecologist-

03/11/2025

Registration: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/calendar/event/5646-onr-colloquium-spring-2025-britt-dahlberg-sam-smith-suz

01/28/2025

(Registration link in the comments)

11/15/2024

Couldn't make it to the opening of our new exhibit "Through Nursing's Lens: The Nurse in World War II Imagery and Photographs"? You can still learn more about the exhibit today at 12pm EST. Join us to hear Curator Jessica Martucci talk about Mary C. Brennan's WWII photography and what we can learn from it. RSVP to receive the Zoom link:

In this talk, Jessica Martucci will discuss the collections of Mary C. Brennan (1930-1992), a nurse who served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps throughout World War Two.