Nursing has been around since ancient times. People have needed the healing hands of nurses for thousands upon thousands of years. In Africa, the healing techniques of witch doctors and medicine men were taught to chosen children. The medicine men and witch doctors were like the nurses for the entire village. However, these more primitive techniques have evolved into much more evidence-based practices. In the mid-1800s, as America was growing, socially, and economically, there was a higher demand for nurses due to people getting hurt more often. During the Civil War of 1861 many soldiers, from both the Union and the south, were traumatically injured. An Abundance of nurses were needed to compensate the massive number of patients. One African American woman had a passion for people and the drive to make a difference. Mary Eliza Mahoney was born May 7, 1845. She is recognized as being the first African-American professional nurse. Mary worked extremely hard to provide the best care for her patients. Mary went through a nurse training program, was inducted into the national association of colored graduate nurses, which later joined with the American Nurses Association, and she was inducted into American Nurses Association hall of fame, where there is a prestigious nursing award named after her. Mary Mahoney did not grow up around a lot of racism, but her …show more content…
Mary’s sixteen month training made her a greater nurse. This training made it possible for her to be asked to speak for the NACGN, become a member of that association, and later become a member of the ANA. Mary’s active membership in the nursing associations, and her outstanding work as a nurse made it possible for an award to be named after her. It is because of Mary that women of all races who aspire to be in the nursing profession can make it through like Mary