The American Association of Nurse Attorneys records
Dates
- Creation: 1977 - 2005
Scope and Contents
This collection documents the organizational history of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, including the working papers of its founder, Cynthia Northrop, and past-president Karen Guarino. It includes agendas, brochures, budgets, correspondence, directories, handbooks, programs, memos, minutes, newsletters, presentations, press releases, reports, and surveys. It also includes a number of audiovisual and media formats, such as videocassettes, a U-matic tape, cassette tapes, and 5¼-inch floppy disks. Materials concern the everyday operations of TAANA, outreach to fellow nurse attorneys, educational efforts on topics such as expert witness testimony and malpractice suits, and the planning of board of director meetings and annual meetings. Highlights include an audio recording of TAANA’s first annual meeting, nearly complete runs of TAANA’s newsletters, research by Cynthia Northrop into the life and work of Mary Eleanor McGarvah (the first nurse attorney), and photographs of annual meetings and board meetings.
Creator
- Guarino, Karen (Person)
- Northrop, Cynthia E. (Person)
- American Association of Nurse Attorneys (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research. Legacy media formats are not available for playback due to format impermanence and have not been reformatted. Please let Burns Library Public Services know of your specific interest; if possible, reformatting will be scheduled.
Restrictions on Use
These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Historical Note
The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) was founded in 1977 by Cynthia E. Northrop, an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore who had both nursing and law degrees. In the late 1970s she joined her efforts with other similar groups across the country. In 1982, TAANA was officially incorporated and their first national meeting was held that November in Washington, DC. TAANA established regional chapters across the country, and it provided services such as attorney referral, education, and job postings. It began publishing directories of nurse attorneys in 1980. Northrop served as president until 1985.
In 1984, the TAANA Foundation was incorporated to provide education about legal aspects of health care. It funds students’ attendance at annual meetings and provides grants to community organizations. Since 1987, the Foundation has also given out the Mary Eleanor McGarvah Humanitarian Award to individuals who have made a significant contribution to health law. The award was named in honor of the first nurse attorney, who died in 1979. A notable recipient was Tipper Gore, in 1998, for her work on breast cancer.
Since 1985, TAANA has awarded a distinguished service award and an outstanding advocate award annually. The association publishes a newsletter, originally called ...In Brief (1983-1985) and then Inside TAANA (since 1985). It also publishes The Journal of Nursing Law (since 1993).
Sources
"About Us." The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. http://www.taana.org/about. Accessed April 24, 2017.
Lawson, Carol. "For Nurses, A Future in Law." The New York Times, February 2, 1987.
Mansnerus, Laura. "Nurse as Lawyer: A Foot in Two Worlds." The New York Times, April 1, 1988.
"The American Association of Nurse Attorneys: A 25 Year Retrospective." Microsoft Powerpoint Presentation, TAANA website. Accessed April 24, 2017.
Biographical Note: Cynthia E. Northrop
Cynthia E. Northrop was born on June 11, 1950, in North Tonawanda, New York. She earned a master's degree in nursing from the University of Maryland and studied law at the University of Baltimore. She founded the American Association of Nurse Attorneys in 1977 and served as president from the time of its incorporation in 1982 until 1985. Throughout her life she worked as public health nurse, a professor, and a lawyer in private practice. With Mary E. Kelly, she wrote the book Legal Issues in Nursing, published in 1987. Northrop married Harvey C. Dzodin in 1984. She died of colon cancer on November 6, 1989.
Sources
"About Us." The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. http://www.taana.org/about. Accessed April 24, 2017.
"Cynthia Ellen Northrop." U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Ancestry.com. Accessed April 24, 2017.
"Cynthia Northrop, 39, A Nurse and a Lawyer." The New York Times. November 7, 1989.
"Harvey C. Dzodin Married to Cynthia E. Northrop." The New York Times. January 30, 1984.
"In Memoriam." Addictions Nursing Network. 1, no. 4 (1989): 21. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10884608909149644?journalCode=ijan18
Extent
24.75 Linear Feet (22 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection documents the organizational history of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA), including the working papers of its founder, Cynthia Northrop, and past-president Karen Guarino. Materials concern the everyday operations of TAANA, outreach to fellow nurse attorneys, educational efforts on topics such as expert witness testimony and malpractice suits, and the planning of board of directors meetings and annual meetings.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into six series: I. Central Office Files; II. Foundation Records; III. Office of the Founder: Cynthia Northrop; IV. Office of the President: Karen Guarino; V. Publications; and VI. Public Relations.
Materials are arranged into chronological subseries and alphabetically thereunder.
Provenance
Donated by The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (1997, 2017).
Processing Information
This collection has been minimally processed. Materials have not been refoldered and original titles have been retained.
- Duplicates, mostly Inside TAANA issues
- Title
- The American Association of Nurse Attorneys Records
- Subtitle
- 1977-2005
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Annalisa Moretti and Holly Springer, April 2017. Revised by Elizabeth Peters, 2022.
- Date
- 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2022 November: Incorporated new accrual.
Repository Details
Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 United States
617-552-4861
library.bc.edu/burns/contact