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Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com 19 July 27–September 7, 2020 Medical Library maintained a Nurses' Directory, which served as a sort of bulletin board for nurses to offer their services to private parties. If local hospitals were reluctant to hire nurses of color, there were plenty of affluent white families willing to do so. Mahoney would spend much of her nursing career as a pri- vate-duty nurse, initially charging the princely sum of $1.50 per day. That's the equivalent of around $40 today, a very modest amount for what could easily be 24-hour-a-day duty. Over the next decade, Mahoney gradually built a strong pro- fessional reputation as a charming, discreet, even-tempered and highly competent private nurse, enabling her to raise her rates in 1892 to $2.50 per day or $15 per week. From 1911–12, she moved to Long Island, N.Y., to become the director of the Howard Orphan Asylum for Black Children, but she later returned to the Boston area, where she remained for the rest of her life. Integrating Nursing Associations In 1896, Mahoney joined the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada, forerunner of the ANA. In its early days, the organization was not particularly welcoming to nurses of color; Mahoney was one of only a handful of Black members. Consequently, in 1908, she became a founding member of a new organization, the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN). The NACGN asked her to give the opening address at the association's first convention in 1909 and named her the organization's national chaplain for life. Although her official role involved no specific duties, Mahoney actively recruited some early members for that organization and was a vocal champion of Black women in nursing. She was not an imposing figure, standing only 5 feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, but her achievements and reputation helped to pave the way for the many Black nurses who followed her. Mahoney died of breast cancer in January 1926. Ten years later, the NACGN established an annual award in her name, which has continued on a biennial basis since the NACGN merged with the ANA in 1951. In 1976, Mahoney became one of the first inductees to the ANA's Nursing Hall of Fame. ____________________________________________________ Aaron Severson is the associate editor of Working Nurse. You can find his recent historical features, "William Rathbone VI (1819-1902), Father of English District Nursing" and "A Brief History of Measles and Its Vaccines," at WorkingNurse.com. WN AN IMMIGRANT'S VISION The New England Hospital for Women and Children (left) was founded by Marie Zakrzewska, M.D. (right), a German- Polish immigrant. Mary Mahoney worked as custodian and aide at this hospital, and later attended its nursing school. She was one of only four students out of her class of 42 to complete the program! MH20-0169 Join a talented, friendly team of Labor & Delivery nurses dedicated to providing excellent and - Award-winning community hospital - Sign-on bonuses up to $10,000 - Great learning environment - Work / Life balance - To apply today, go to www.methodisthospital.org/careers 300 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia CA 91007 Your New L&D Coworkers are Waiting for You! BE PART OF A GREAT TEAM Jennie Deng, RN LABOR & DELIVERY