Which nurse leader promoted creation of the Associate Degree as a shorter route into nursing?

• A. Isabel Hampton Robb
• B. Mildred Montag
• C. Dorothea Dix
• D. The Spanish-American War of 1898

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how nursing education pathways evolved to make entering the profession more accessible. Mildred Montag is the nurse leader who promoted the Associate Degree as a shorter route into nursing. She helped establish the first two-year ADN program at Santa Monica College in the early 1950s, creating a practical, accelerated path between the traditional diploma routes and the four-year bachelor’s degree. This move aimed to expand the nursing workforce by offering a shorter, affordable option for entry into practice, especially for working individuals who couldn’t commit to a longer program.

Isabel Hampton Robb was a key figure in early nursing education reform, focusing on standardizing curricula and professionalizing nursing in general, not specifically promoting the ADN. Dorothea Dix was a Civil War-era reformer who organized care for the mentally ill and the wounded, not involved in promoting the ADN. The Spanish-American War of 1898 is an event, not a nursing educator.