School of Nursing student Ava Dugan ’27 was selected as the winner of the American Association for the History of Nursing’s (AAHN) annual essay contest for Nursing students. In her answer to the essay prompt, “How does the History of Nursing influence Nursing Practice today?” Dugan wrote a thoughtful piece highlighting nurses often overlooked in history books, though their contributions were no less impactful. We spoke to Dugan about what led her to study nursing, and why these particular nurses inspire her.
For Ava Dugan ’27, the realities of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were a part of her birth story.
“I was born into the NICU,” says Dugan. “My parents were very open about it, and as a kid I saw pictures of myself [in the NICU] with a tiny blood pressure cuff.”
While this may have sparked an interest in science and healthcare, she hadn’t planned on pursuing a career in nursing.
“I wanted to be a teacher in elementary education, specifically kindergarten or preschool,” says Dugan, who has always been comfortable around babies. “I have a lot of younger cousins, and my mom ran a home daycare for 10 years. There have always been children around me, and that added to my desire [to work with kids].”
One day, her interests clicked. “I thought, I could do pediatric nursing or NICU nursing, that would be super cool! Kids and healthcare have always been super interesting to me.”
Uncovering the History of Nurses
Last fall, Dugan took “Nursing Theory & Evidence Based Practice” (NURS 228) taught by Adjunct Professor Kerry Hennessy.
“There was a slideshow based on the history of nursing, which was super interesting to learn about in class.” While she was familiar with the work of Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), who is considered the founder of modern nursing, and Clara Barton (1821–1912), who founded the American Red Cross, Dugan realized that many other women contributed to what nursing is today.
When it came time to write her essay, Dugan’s research yielded some unexpected names.
“I found all of these amazing people who deserve to be talked about more,” says Dugan. “This was my first experience reading about them.”
While her essay touches upon the contributions of Nightingale, she focuses on two lesser-known figures: Mary Seacole and Mary Eliza Mahoney.
Seacole (1805–1881), a “Scottish-Jamaican pioneering nurse,” set off to work in the Crimean War after her services were refused by the English War Office. As Dugan states in her essay, “Mary Seacole emphasized the importance of addressing the emotional needs of patients to aid in their recovery. Similar to Nightingale, she also stressed the necessity for proper hygiene, nutrition, and ventilation in nursing care.”
As one of only four students to complete the program at the New England Hospital for Women’s graduate school for nursing in 1879, Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845–1926) was the first African American in the US to earn a professional nursing license.
As Dugan writes in her essay: “After her incredible feat, Mary Eliza Mahoney went on to join the American Nurses Association (ANA) ... co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908, became the director of the Howard Orphanage Asylum for Black children in Kings Park, Long Island in 1911 … Mahoney's legacy echoes in healthcare today, serving as a model for diversity and perseverance. Her work and dedication to nursing practice pushed the field toward a more diverse, inspiring, and impactful future.”
Dugan was eager for the chance to highlight these nurses.
“I chose these women because their accomplishments were so profound, but, to my perspective, not highlighted enough,” says Dugan. “I admire them for the work they did, not just for nursing but for healthcare in general. That’s not to take away from Barton or Nightingale, but I think Seacole and Mahoney should be represented equally.”
As a winner of the AAHN’s essay contest, Dugan will receive an award and present her essay to the Board.