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@GMATNinja, can you please explain Questions 1 and 3 here?­­
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Explanation

­1. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?

Explanation

A. This statement is contradicted by the passage, which emphasizes that the ideology of nursing did not arise from a belief in women's rights but rather from 18th- and 19th-century notions of womanly character and duty.

B. This option is partially accurate but does not capture the broader theme presented in the passage. While conflicts are mentioned, the primary obstacle to the professionalization of nursing is rooted in traditional gendered perceptions of women's roles.

C. This is the correct answer. The passage consistently emphasizes how traditional ideas about nursing being women's work, based on historical understandings of womanhood, impacted the development and professionalization of the nursing profession.

D. This statement is not supported by the passage. The passage mentions that doctors opposed moves to bolster nurses' control of their labor or improve their scientific skills, but it does not attribute this opposition to the generality of the nursing school curriculum.

E. This statement is also contradicted by the passage. While it acknowledges that nursing evolved into skilled paid labor after 1870 due to scientific and medical advances, it emphasizes that the traditional ideology of nursing persisted despite these changes.

In summary, option (C) best captures the central idea that traditional ideas about women's work, rooted in historical perceptions of womanly character and duty, hindered the evolution and professionalization of the ideology of nursing.

Answer: C
­
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Explanation

­
2. The information in the passage suggests that Susan Reverby would be most likely to DISAGREE with which of the following statements about nursing education?

Explanation

A. This statement suggests a significant transformation in the ideology of nursing due to education. However, the passage indicates that despite efforts in nursing education, the traditional conceptualization of nursing as women's work persisted, and the ideology concerning nursing changed very little. Therefore, Reverby would likely disagree with this statement.

B. The passage does not focus on the direct impact of nursing education on the professional relationship between nurses and doctors. Instead, it highlights the divergent goals of hospital administrators, doctors, and nursing educators. Therefore, Reverby's disagreement with this statement is not clearly supported or refuted by the information in the passage.

C. This statement is in line with the information in the passage. It mentions how hospital exigencies, or the pressing needs of the hospital, led to a loss of control over admission standards, education quality, and student labor for nursing educators. Reverby would likely agree that hospital exigencies affected the autonomy of nurses.

D. This statement is supported by the passage. It mentions that hospital administrators were pleased to support the movement to upgrade and standardize nursing education because it would serve their own plans for reforming medicine. Reverby would likely agree with this statement based on the information provided.

E. This statement aligns with the historical context described in the passage. Before 1870, nursing took place in the home, and women were assumed to be "naturals" for the job. There is no mention of formal education for nurses during this period. Reverby would likely agree with this statement based on the information provided.

In summary, Susan Reverby would most likely disagree with option (A) because the passage suggests that nursing education did not dramatically change the ideology of nursing; instead, traditional views persisted.

Answer: A
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Explanation

­
3. According to the passage, the ideology of nursing has determined

Explanation

A. This is not the primary focus of the passage. While the passage mentions that nursing occurred in homes and hospitals before 1870, the main emphasis is on the traditional conceptualization of nursing as women's work and its impact on the profession, rather than the specific settings.

B. The passage does not explicitly discuss twentieth-century notions of female character and duty. Instead, it focuses on the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century understandings that influenced the ideology of nursing. Therefore, this option is not directly supported by the passage.

C. This is the correct answer. The passage repeatedly mentions the impact of the traditional conceptualization of nursing as women's work on the status of the nursing profession. It discusses how this ideology influenced the tasks nurses perform and the challenges faced by nursing educators, indicating a connection between the ideology and the status of the nursing profession.

D. The passage does discuss the goals of doctors and hospital administrators in relation to nursing education, but the broader context is the impact of the ideology of nursing on the nature of tasks and the status of the profession. While related, the primary focus is not on the goals of doctors and hospital administrators as an outcome of the ideology.

E. The passage does not explicitly discuss the role of women in different branches of medicine. It primarily focuses on the historical conceptualization of nursing as women's work and its impact on the nursing profession, rather than exploring the role of women in various medical branches.

In summary, the correct answer is (C) the status of the nursing profession, as the passage emphasizes the profound impact of the traditional ideology of nursing on the nature of tasks nurses perform and the overall status of the nursing profession.

Answer: C
­
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­bb
This passage showed up on Focus Test 1. 
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Q1) Is there any specific sentence in the passage that clearly tells us that the answer is option C?

Yes, several sentences in the passage directly support C ("Traditional ideas about women's work hindered the evolution of the ideology of nursing"). Let’s break it down:

Key sentence:

"The most salient fact about the occupation of nursing has been its traditional conceptualization by both the public and medical professionals as women's work, a judgment that has had a dramatic impact both on the nature of the tasks nurses perform and on the status of the profession."

This sentence establishes that the perception of nursing as "women's work" shaped both the tasks nurses performed and their professional status. This reflects how traditional ideas hindered nursing's evolution.
Supporting sentence:

"Even after 1870, when scientific and medical advances hastened the development of nursing as skilled paid labor, the ideology concerning nursing changed very little."

Despite advancements, the traditional view of nursing as women's work persisted, showing its restrictive impact on the ideology of the profession.
Further evidence:

"Doctors saw nursing education as a way of improving care in the hospital, but they opposed any move to bolster nurses' control of their own labor or to improve their scientific skills, arguing that nurses should remain submissive and nurturing."

This highlights how traditional ideas about women's roles (submissive and nurturing) limited nurses' autonomy and the development of their professional identity.
These sentences collectively reinforce that C is the correct answer, as they repeatedly tie the limitations on nursing's evolution to its traditional framing as "women's work."
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Q1
If option E were "Scientific and medical advances of the late nineteenth century had little effect on the ideology of nursing." could it be a right answer?

Yes, if E were rephrased as:

"Scientific and medical advances of the late nineteenth century had little effect on the ideology of nursing,"

it could be a plausible correct answer.

Why?
The passage explains that while scientific and medical advances influenced the professionalization of nursing (e.g., the push for skilled labor and standardized training), the underlying ideology of nursing as "women's work" remained largely unchanged. This is a central theme of the passage, so the revised E would align with the author’s argument.

However, it would depend on how the question is framed:

If the focus is on the persistence of the ideology of nursing, the revised E could compete with C.

C might still be the stronger choice since it directly states how "traditional ideas about women's work hindered" nursing's evolution, which is broader than just referencing the impact of medical advances.
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Q4)
The word "naturals" in the passage is used in the context of describing how women were perceived as inherently suited for nursing due to societal beliefs about "womanly character and duty." This reflects the ideology of the time, which was rooted in traditional gender roles and expectations rather than professional training or rights.
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