In 1916, Dr. Francis McMechan petitioned to ban the practice of nurses administering anesthetics in which state, and what was the outcome?

• A. Illinois; granted
• B. New York; remained pending
• C. Ohio; overturned
• D. California; dismissed

Answer: (C)

This question centers on how early legal challenges shaped who could administer anesthesia. Dr. Francis McMechan in Ohio sought to ban nurses from giving anesthetics, a move that reflected physician concerns about non-physician control of anesthesia care. The key point is what happened to that petition: it was overturned, meaning the attempt to ban nurse-administered anesthesia did not take effect. As a result, nurses could continue providing anesthesia under the prevailing framework, a outcome that helped establish and protect the role of nurses in this aspect of patient care.