Reva Rubin's 1975 AJN article "Maternity Nursing Stops Too Soon," featured in From the AJN Archives in July, reminded me of my early days as a visiting nurse, when antepartum and postpartum home visits and staffing well-baby clinics were included in my responsibilities. I was a staff visiting nurse from 1960 to 1972, prior to becoming a supervisor and executive director of a home care agency. At that time, the names and addresses of expectant mothers and mothers with newborns were shared by referral sources with the visiting nurse association for home visits.

Maternity visits included an introduction to the services that may have been offered through an insurance company or the visiting nurse association, sharing information, doing a baby bath demonstration, or teaching a mother how to make formula. My work staffing well-baby clinics, held at a neighborhood church or other local building, included bringing supplies and vaccines to the site.

As I reflect on all the opportunities and responsibilities I have had since I entered nursing school in 1954 to today, I am thankful for the wonderful experiences and patients and families I met over the past 66 years.

Marilyn D. Harris, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Warminster, PA