Early Life & Education
Where was Mahoney born?
Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts
What were Mahoney's first jobs?
Mahoney worked in hospitals for 15 years as a janitor, cook, maid, washerwoman
What struggles were Mahoney up against in her lifetime? (HINT: 2 things)
Patriarchal Society and Limited Roles for Women
Severe Racism, Discrimination, and Oppression
The diminished representation and hiring of Black nurses under the ANA and the poor treatment of Black nurses prompted Mahoney to co-found what?
National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908
What nursing school did Mahoney attend?
How long did Mahoney work professionally as a Nurse?
40 years
Mahoney sadly passed away from...
Breast cancer
What award is given in Mahoney's honor? What do you have to do to get this award?
Mary Eliza Mahoney Award
Pave the way to success for diversity in nursing and granting opportunities in healthcare for fellow minorities (ex; Adah Belle Samuel Thoms)
How old was Mahoney when she entered Nursing school and how long was the program?
Mahoney was 33 years old; 16 months
What was Mahoney's motto that carried her through her career and life?
"Work more and better the coming year than the previous year.”
What institution did Mahoney leave in its formative years due to racism and discrimination?
Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada (old name). Now called the American Nurses Association (ANA)
Mahoney is known to be the first....
Who is the first woman to vote?
True or False: Mahoney figured out that she wanted to be a nurse later in life
False; she always wanted to be a nurse since childhood but was not permitted to do so for 15 years
Who reportedly noticed Mahoney's efforts at the hospital and influenced her entry into nursing school?
a family friend, Miss Hawley, was quoted as saying in The American Journal of Nursing in 1954. “A woman doctor wanted her there, and that was the only influence she had.”
Private nurses in this era were often treated like ____ which caused Mahoney to do what in protest?
House maids (for Black PNs treatment was even worse); Ate seperately from housekeepers and servants to distinguish herself and command respect
Mahoney is regarded as...
The first Black professional nurse in the U.S.
Mahoney was among ___ women who graduated from an original cohort of 42 in 1879
4
What were the defining characteristics that patients attributed to Mahoney?
Efficiency, Patience, Caring bedside manner
Why did Mahoney pursue a career as a private nurse?
Public Hospitals and Medical clinics were still widely segregated and Black hospitals were largely underfunded which caused Mahoney to find opportunities to be a private nurse with specialty in perinatal care
By the end of her nursing career, Mahoney continued her work and became the director of what institution? What was the purpose of this institution?
Who is the Director of Howard Colored Orphan Asylum for Black Children in Long Island, New York (1911-1912)?
Purpose: 1st institution in the U.S. to care for Black children whose parents had died or were unable to care for them. The asylum offered schooling for infants, and older children were bound by indentured servitude to families to learn a trade or skill.