The History of Cardiac Care at Vancouver General Hospital, 1955-1980

This capstone project examined the development of cardiology technologies and the establishment of specialized cardiac care units and how technological advances transformed nursing roles and training in cardiac care at Vancouver General Hospital between 1955 and 1980. As new technologies such as cardiac monitoring and open-heart surgery were introduced, nurses increasingly worked with complex medical equipment and were required to develop new clinical knowledge and technical skills. Tasks that had traditionally been within physicians’ scope of practice, such as observing and interpreting cardiac rhythms, gradually became part of nurses’ responsibilities. As a result, the traditional boundaries between physicians’ and nurses’ roles became less distinct, marking an important shift in nursing practice. This study used primary sources including archival records from the Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Archives and the City of Vancouver Archives, oral histories, and historical nursing literature. Secondary sources such as books and journal articles were also examined to provide historical context. The findings show that technological advances significantly expanded nurses’ responsibilities in patient monitoring and early detection of complications. The increasing complexity of cardiac care revealed a gap between rapid technological developments and nursing education. In response, Vancouver General Hospital introduced a specialized cardiac monitoring training program that combined lectures with practical instruction in monitoring and resuscitation equipment. Overall, technological innovation contributed to the development of cardiac nursing as a specialized field requiring advanced knowledge and technical skills. Keywords: cardiac nursing, cardiac monitoring, open-heart surgery, nursing education, Vancouver General Hospital.