Collection Summary
Information for Researchers
Administrative Information
Organizational History
Scope and Content of Collection
Collection Summary
Collection Title: California Nurses Association–Golden Gate Nurses Association
(CNA–GGNA) records
Date (inclusive): 1906-1995
Collection Number: MSS 2000-37
Creators :
Golden Gate Nursing Association
San Francisco County Nursing Association
San Mateo County Nursing Association
Extent:
Number of containers: 29 cartons, 1 box
Linear feet: 36.75
Repository: The UCSF Library and Center for Knowledge Management,
Archives and Special Collections
University of California, San Francisco
530 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94143-0840
Phone: (415) 476-8112
Fax: (415) 476-4653
Email: http://www.library.ucsf.edu/collres/archives/contactform.html
URL: http://www.library.ucsf.edu/collres/archives/
Abstract: Files documenting the activities of the Golden Gate Nursing Association, including the
San Francisco County Nursing Association, The San Mateo County Nursing Association. The collection includes
board and membership meeting minutes, sections, committees, other activities as well as the Nursing Registries
run by each district. This collection documents the change from a district to regional system for local bodies
of the California State Nursing Association.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the
library's online catalog:
http://www.library.ucsf.edu/ .
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the UCSF Library and Center for Knowledge Management. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manager of Archives and
Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the UCSF Library and Center for
Knowledge Management as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of
the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], California Nurses Association–Golden Gate Nurses Association
(CNA–GGNA) Records, MSS 2000-37, The UCSF Library and Center for Knowledge Management, Archives and
Special Collections, University of California, San Francisco.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public
access catalog.
California Nurses Association
Golden Gate Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
San Francisco Nurses Association
San Francisco County Nurses Association
San Mateo County Nurses Association
Nurses--California--San Francisco
Nurses--California--San Mateo County
Nurses--History--20th century
Nursing--Law and legislation
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
This collection came to UCSF as part of an agreement between the California Nurses Association (CNA), the
Golden Gate Nurses Association (GGNA) and the American Nurses Association in 1995.
Processing Information
Processed by Julia Bazar in 2006.
Organizational History
The California Nurses Association (CNA), originally the California State Nurses Association (CSNA), was founded
in 1903 as a state chapter of the American Nurses Association (ANA). The CNA was originally organized into
districts. These included District 37 - San Mateo County Nurses Association (SMCNA) and District 9 - San
Francisco Nurses Association (SFNA) originally the San Francisco County Nurses Association (SFCNA). The 1970s
saw a reorganization of the CNA into a regional structure. Districts 37 and 9 were combined into Region 12 -
Golden Gate Nurses Association.
Between 1903 and 1995 the SMCNA and SFNA served as the professional organizations for their respective
counties. Both district associations organized and ran a Nursing Registry for their county. The registry served
as a hiring hall and staffing agency, connecting both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses
(LVNS) with both hospital and private nursing assignments.
The registries did not serve as licensing or credentialing agencies. Formal certification of Registered Nurses
was enacted by the California State Legislature in 1905. The University of California Board of Regents was the
first entity to given the power "to set standards, administer exams, approve educational programs, and issue
certificates." In 1913 these tasks were given to the newly created Bureau of Registration of Nurses under the
state Board of Health Bureau. The name of this agency and the governmental department to which it reports has
changed several times throughout the years. In 1975 it received its current name, California Board of Registered
Nursing.
In 1995, the CNA severed ties with the American Nurses Association over strategic and philosophical
differences. CNA then dedicated itself to working on labor issues such as establishing collective bargaining,
increasing wages, mandating 40 hour work weeks, and overtime pay.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) also remains represented in California through the American Nurses
Association California (ANA\C), which sees its mission as "optimiz[ing] nursing contribution to health and
wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities ... [through] promot[ing] professional development, conduct
and use research, influenc[ing] public policy, and enhanc[ing] professional practice environments. The ANA
functions as a professional organization and approximately half of their state and territorial constituent
associations also serve as collective bargaining units.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection documents the structure, activities and purpose of two districts of the California Nurses
Association (CNA), formerly the California State Nursing Association (CSNA), including the transformation from
district to regional organization. It includes records from District #9, the San Francisco County Nursing
Association (SFCNA), later called the San Francisco Nursing Association (SFNA), and District #37, the San Mateo
County Nursing Association (SMCNA), as well as records form the combined Region #12: The Golden Gate Nursing
Association (GGNA).
These files document the activities of each of the entities, including board and membership meeting minutes,
sections, committees, other activities and also the Nursing Registries run by each district. Documents
concerning the reorganization of the CNA can be found under all three sub-organization series.
The collection is organized into the following series and subseries: Series 1: San Mateo County Nurses
Association; Series 2: San Francisco County Nurses Association (Subseries 2.1: Association Files; Subseries 2.2:
Registry Files); Series 3: Golden Gate Nurses Association (Subseries 3.1: Chronological Files, Subseries 3.2:
Miscellaneous GGNA Files; Subseries 3.3: Nurses Official Registry Inc.; Subseries 3.4: SFNA/GGNA
Subject/Background Files); and Series 4: Regional/Divisional/State and National Publications.