What prominent change in nursing education occurred in 1950?

The establishment of the NCLEX-RN in 1950 marked a significant milestone in nursing education and practice. This standardized examination was designed to evaluate the competencies of entry-level nurses, ensuring they met the necessary standards of practice before obtaining licensure. The introduction of this exam helped to elevate the profession by providing a means to assess the knowledge and skills critical for nursing care, thereby enhancing public safety and trust in the nursing profession. The NCLEX-RN set a uniform benchmark for nursing practice across the United States, allowing for a more consistent evaluation of nursing education outcomes.

The other options reflect important aspects of nursing history, but none had the same transformative impact on the licensing and regulatory framework of nursing as the establishment of the NCLEX-RN. The introduction of permissive licensure laws was an earlier development that allowed nurses to practice under defined conditions but did not signify a formalized testing process. The founding of the first female nursing school happened earlier, and while an annotated index of nursing research would be valuable for advanced scholars, it did not fundamentally change the structure of nursing education as much as the creation of a standard licensing exam did.