| Nurses are oftentimes unsung heroes who are left in the shadows of doctors who get much of the credit. Well, not today. The group of nurses featured left a beautiful mark on the history of healthcare that could never be erased. Many times, in the face of adversity, these women gave their all to their patients and careers, often behind the scenes and without recognition. That’s why WE honor them. We have seen their effort and their history-making triumphs that laid the groundwork for many nurses today. Take a look at just some of the most groundbreaking nurses throughout history: Sojourner Truth: Always Leading the Way Isabella Baumfree – better known by her self-given name Sojourner Truth – was born into slavery in Ulster County, New York in 1797. And although she would later gain fame as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth was originally a nurse who served a family named the Dumonts. She was promised her freedom a year before the 1827 Emancipation Act, but when her owner changed his mind, she fled with her young daughter Sophia in 1826.In her later years, Truth worked at the National Freedman’s Relief Association in Washington D.C., where she strove to improve the cleanliness and quality of care. But perhaps most notably, Truth used her strong voice and eloquent speeches to urge Congress to finance training programs for nurses. In an age before any formal nurse training existed, Truth’s perception and advocacy of the need for such education remain truly legendary. And all this from a nine-year-old girl who was thrown in with a flock of sheep for $100. (READ MORE) |
