Ethelrine Shaw-Nickerson entered The Ohio State University School of Nursing in 1951 and graduated in 1955. She chose Ohio State because the university accepted African American students. Her career focus was maternal-child nursing. She earned her master’s degree in this specialty from Boston University in 1957. Shaw-Nickerson taught maternal-child nursing at Ohio State for thirty years. She actively participated in the Civil Rights movement, including the historic marches in Selma, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. Shaw-Nickerson found that her colleagues at Ohio State were interested in hearing about her experiences. Due to lack of inclusivity in the American Nurses Association, she helped to form the Black Nurses Association in 1971. Other activities included, studying for her PhD, serving as a visiting or distinguished professor at multiple universities, and obtaining a grant to advise nursing programs in Botswana.
The Ethelrine Shaw-Nickerson Oral History (0.5 linear foot) contains copies of an oral history interview conducted with Shaw-Nickerson on November 14, 2008, accompanied by her correspondence, her curriculum vitae, and other professional papers.
The collection is open to the public and is available for viewing in the Medical Heritage Center. Materials do not circulate and must be used in the supervised reading room. Restrictions, including copyright, may exist and some materials may be too fragile to photocopy or digitize. The MHC charges for duplication services, which must be performed by staff.
[Identification of item], Ethelrine Shaw-Nickerson Oral History, SPEC.202526.SHAWNICKERSONORALHISTORY, Medical Heritage Center, Health Sciences Library, The Ohio State University.