![]() Her work ethic and advocacy outreach granted nurses prestige and respect. Mary Eliza Mahoney, without question, was and still is a pioneer in the nursing profession. The number of Black women in the nursing profession had more than doubled just four years after her death. Mahoney’s life had a significant impact on the African American community. The American Association of Nurses inducted her into their hall of fame in 1976. After her death, a memorial to her life was erected in Massachusetts. In 1923, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer and died three years later in 1926. Mahoney was also a women’s rights advocate and fought for the right to vote, and after the passage of the 19th amendment, she voted in her first election at age 76! The conference members took her comments seriously and even elected her to the associations’ chaplain and granted her a lifetime membership. In that address, Mary highlighted the inequalities in nursing and that Black women needed a fair chance to pursue nursing education. She noted that the group was slow to admit Black nurses and supported the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (N.A.C.G.N.), and delivered the welcome address at that organization’s first annual convention in 1909. Mahoney also joined an organization that would later be known as the American Nurses Association as one of the first Black nurses. While working, she gained an excellent reputation and had requests from far away states like New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. Mary is notable for advocating for her job and refused to be treated like a maid. During her time, frequently, nurses were seen as “the help” rather than trained medical professions and were assigned domestic duties. Mahoney also helped elevate the status of nurses. The families that she worked with praised her calm and quiet efficiency. And during her training, she was required to do four months of private duty nursing.Īfter graduation, Mary was a full-time private duty nurse. Lectures were also part and parcel of the course by physicians. Her training was intensive, and she worked in the medical, surgical, and maternity wards. ![]() Of her class of 42, she was one of only four who graduated from the program. In 1878, at age 33, she was accepted in that hospital’s nursing school, the first professional nursing program in the country. At the age of 18, she decided to pursue a career in nursing, working at the progressive New England Hospital for Women and Children. Mary Eliza Mahoney was born in Boston, on May 7, 1845, as the oldest of three children. When we look at travel nursing, we have to give credit to Mary Eliza Mahoney for pioneering that industry. ![]() In almost any healthcare setting, nurses are at the forefront of patient care. You have advanced practice nurses, nurses that provide primary care for millions, and travel nurses that go across the country to provide care for others. For over 18 years, nurses have ranked number one as the most trusted profession in the Gallup poll by Americans. Nursing today is a well-respected career. A woman whose nursing acumen had those living in the late 1800’s writing letters to locate her to take care of their family members! This blog will focus on Mary and the Nursing profession. Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first formally trained Black nurse in America. During this time, I would like to put a beacon on a lesser known Black historical figure that had an insurmountable impact on lives back then and today. A time where we look back at historically significant African American figures that changed the landscape for civil rights. Black History and Nursing - Mary Eliza Mahoneyīlack History month is a time of reflection. ![]()
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