Margretta Styles facts for kids

Margretta (Gretta) Madden Styles (born 1930, died November 20, 2005) was an amazing American nurse. She was also a writer, teacher, and leader of nursing schools. Gretta helped create important rules for nurses. These rules made sure nurses were properly trained in areas like caring for kids (pediatrics) and heart patients (cardiology). She was even the president of the American Nurses Association from 1986 to 1988. Gretta wrote many books and articles about nursing.

Gretta Styles' Early Life and Education

Gretta Styles was born in Mount Union, Pennsylvania. She loved learning and studied biology and chemistry at Juniata College. Later, she earned a special master's degree in nursing from Yale University. She also got her doctorate degree in education from the University of Florida.

A Leader in Nursing Education

In 1967, Gretta became a professor of nursing at Duke University. She then became the dean (leader) of nursing schools at several universities. These included the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. From 1977 to 1987, she was the dean of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco.

Setting High Standards for Nurses

Gretta Styles worked hard to make sure nurses had the best training. She helped create strict systems for certifying nurses. This meant nurses had to pass tests and meet high standards to show they were experts. She wrote many articles about advanced nursing practices. Gretta believed that nurses should always keep learning and improving.

She was very important in starting the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This group is now a big part of the American Nurses Association. The ANCC gives tests for over twenty different nursing specialties. This helps make sure nurses everywhere meet the same high professional expectations. In 1993, Gretta was chosen to be the president of the International Council of Nurses. This is a big honor, showing her leadership around the world.

Honoring Gretta Styles' Legacy

Gretta Styles' ideas are still used and quoted by medical experts today. The ANCC gives out a special award called the Margretta Madden Styles Credentialing Research Grant. This grant helps people study how nurse certification improves patient care. The UCSF School of Nursing also gives the Margretta Styles Distinguished Nurse Award.

Gretta was honored in many ways for her work. She was put into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame. She also received the Christiane Reimann Award from the International Council of Nurses. This is known as the most important international award in nursing. She was also chosen as a member of the American Academy of Nursing and the National Institute of Medicine.

Gretta's Family Life

Gretta Styles was married for 47 years to Reverend Douglas Styles. He was an Episcopal priest. He passed away in 2002. Gretta and Douglas had two sons and one daughter. They also had two grandchildren. Their son, Mike Styles, started and directed a fun race called the Midnight Sun Run in Fairbanks, Alaska.