“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”>In 1946, Velma Esper Murphy Jones, RN, became one of the first African-American registered nurses at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Her career “font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang= “EN-US”>spanned from 1946 to her retirement in 1981, but her impact is far more significant.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang= “EN-US”>Barnes hired four black nurses in 1946 at a time in our nation’s history when African Americans primarily worked at hospitals that only cared for blacks. Jones rose through the ranks to become the first black nurse to serve as a nurse manager in obstetrics.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang= “EN-US”>She was born in Center Point, Arkansas on April 9, 1919 and attended Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas (now Huston – Tillotson University). She received her RN degree from Homer G. Phillips Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, entering the nursing field through the WW II cadet nursing program.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang= “EN-US”>Jones died last year in St. Louis at age 91.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang= “EN-US”>Â