Happy Certified Nurses Day! 14 Iconic Black Nurses Who Changed The Medical Game - Page 2
1. Mary Eliza Mahoney
Per Women’s History, as a teenager, Mary Eliza Mahoney began working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children, a facility renowned for its exclusive care for women and children, staffed entirely by female physicians. Following her dreams of becoming a nurse, over 15 years ago, Mahoney served in various capacities, including janitor, cook, laundress, and nurse’s aide, immersing herself in the hospital’s operations. These diverse roles provided her with invaluable insights into the nursing profession.
Her hard work eventually paid off. Mahoney made history as the first African American woman to become a professionally trained nurse in the United States and notably the first to graduate from American nursing school. After graduating in 1879 from the New England Hospital for Women and Children, Mahoney earned her professional license and worked as a private duty nurse, breaking racial and gender barriers in the nursing profession. Patients adored the changemaker so much that they praised her for her incredible bedside manner, patience and efficiency, Women’s History noted.
In addition to her nursing career, she was a founding member of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908, advocating for equal opportunities and the inclusion of Black nurses in professional organizations.
