Ada Sue Hinshaw (born May 20, 1939) is an American nurse best known for her research on quality of care, patient outcomes, and positive nurse working environments. Hinshaw was designated as a Living Legend by the

American Academy of Nursing The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) is a professional organization that generates, synthesizes, and disseminates nursing knowledge to contribute to health policy and practice for the benefit of the public and the nursing profession. Founded in 1 ...

in 2011.

Early life and education

Ada Sue Hinshaw was born to Oscar Allen Cox and Georgia Tucker Cox in

Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...

on May 20, 1939. She spent most of her childhood in

Cherryvale, Kansas Cherryvale is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,192. History Cherryvale was founded on the land of the Osage Indians who were pushed out by veterans of the American Ci ...

, and graduated from Cherryvale High School in 1957. After graduating from high school, Hinshaw enrolled in the School of Nursing at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, which was her mother's alma mater. While she was a student at the University of Kansas, Hinshaw also worked part-time on an Ear Nose and Throat ward. She graduated with her

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in 1961. Hinshaw then moved to the

School of Nursing Nurse education consists of the theoretical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to student nurses by experienced nurses and other med ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, where she focused on

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

and graduated with her

Master of Science in Nursing A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is an advanced-level postgraduate degree for registered nurses and is considered an entry-level degree for nurse educators and managers. The degree also may prepare a nurse to seek a career as a nurse administr ...

in 1963. She returned to school in 1971 to study sociology. She enrolled at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

, obtaining her

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in sociology in 1973, and her

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

in 1975. Hinshaw was the first permanent director of the

National Institute of Nursing Research The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), as part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the nursing care of individuals across the life span—from management ...

, serving from 1987 to 1994.

References

1939 births American women nurses American nursing administrators Nursing school deans American university and college faculty deans Living people Yale School of Nursing alumni University of Kansas alumni University of Arizona alumni Women deans (academic) 21st-century American women scientists Members of the National Academy of Medicine 20th-century American women scientists {{Nurse-bio-stub