Carol Robinson (Class of 2020)
Carol Halsted Robinson is the founding member and past chair of the Friends of Nursing History Steering Committee of the Medical Heritage Center (MHC) at The Ohio State University. Robinson’s interest in nursing history originated in her early nursing education years. Her faculty years at Ohio Wesleyan as assistant professor gave her the opportunity to share nursing history with her nursing students. In 2000, she initiated the Nursing History Project at the MHC to collect nursing histories of central Ohio nurses. To date, 72 nurses have been interviewed and recorded. She convened and chaired the Friends of Nursing History Steering Committee from 2005–2009. In addition to conducting interviews of nurses, this committee also assists in the acquisition of historical books and artifacts and annually conducts a nursing history lecture at The Ohio State University.
As a result of this project, the Local Nursing Legends program was initiated in 2008 to celebrate nurses who have demonstrated their long-term commitment and involvement in the healthcare of central Ohio. Robinson continues her work with this committee in emerita status, conducting interviews of nurses. She is a past member of the MHC Advisory Committee. In addition, she has written articles for House Call, the MHC’s newsletter.
Robinson’s rich nursing career in central Ohio is demonstrated through her work with Riverside Methodist Hospital (now part of OhioHealth). As director of the Adult Day Care/Health Education Center at Riverside Methodist Hospital, she developed programs and services, and marketing and promotional materials. She founded the Central Ohio Adult Day Care Association. As project director of Hospice at Riverside, she conceived and implemented an exploration of cancer prevention education during bereavement. As assistant to the senior vice president of Riverside, she was the nurse consultant to the local weekly television health program, “Life Choices,” and consultant to the nursing television documentary, “Acts of Caring.”
Continuing her commitment to health education, Robinson was instrumental in developing the Elizabeth Blackwell Center at Riverside. This center was a collegially managed, multidisciplinary women’s health program. As a clinical nurse specialist, she provided health counseling and health education classes to central Ohio women. She also directed quality assurance and quality management for the center.
Robinson earned her Bachelor of Science from The University of Connecticut (1961) and attended graduate courses at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, New York City. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University (1964). In 2007, she was awarded the Eleanor K. Gill Outstanding University of Connecticut School of Nursing Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing.