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Why did hospitals become the largest employer of registered nurses by the 1950s?

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A young doctor or nurse uses a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope to measure the blood pressure of an elderly man seated at a clinic office desk. — Nursing A nurse uses a sphygmomanometer to check a patient's blood pressure.

By the mid-1950s, hospitals became the largest employer of registered nurses due to a significant shift in the nature of patient care. By the mid-1930s, the increasing technological and clinical demands of medical treatments, combined with a growing need for intensive nursing care, necessitated a transition of care from the home into the hospital setting.1

This evolution required hospitals to move away from relying on student nurses—who had previously provided labor in exchange for training—and instead employ staffs of trained, professional nurses to manage these complex medical needs. Consequently, the professionalization of the field and the centralization of healthcare services within hospitals established them as the primary employers of registered nurses by the middle of the 20th century.1