Eleanor C. Lambertsen

Eleanor C. Lambertsen (January 2, 1916 – March 30, 1998) was an American nurse. She was noted for a dissertation called Nursing Team Organization and Functioning which was later published as a book. Lambertsen's concept revolutionized nursing's and health care's organization and delivery. She received several awards for her achievements, and was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2012.

Biography

Early career Lambertsen was born in 1916 in Fanwood, New Jersey. She had two brothers. Lambertsen began her career in nursing in the 1930s, working as a bedside nurse while studying at Overlook Hospital. She graduated from the hospital in 1938. Lambertsen was named the school's director of its nursing department five years later, and became its acting director in 1946. She earned a bachelor of science degree in 1949, later a bachelor's in the following year, and became a Doctor of Education in 1957 from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Legacy One of Lambertsen's students described her as "a champion of advanced practice who was willing to stand up to the power structure with determination and grit." Her influence allowed generations of clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners to independently practice their workload. Her concept to team nursing revolutionized nursing's organization and delivery of nursing and health care.

Lambertsen received several honors and awards during her lifetime. She was a recipient of the R. Louise McManus Award from the Nursing Education Alumni Association at Teachers College. Lambertsen garnered honorary recognition from the American Nursing Association and the New York State Nurses Association, and gained membership to the National Academy of Medicine; she was made an honorary fellow of the AHA. Lambertsen was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2012.