Bette Davis, a member of the Chapel Hill School of Nursing first female class, is shown with a book written by the classmates. There are 13 remaining of the 17 graduates. They recently attended the class of 1955 reunion and launched the book, “Ahead of Our Time” during the campus reunion weekend events.
Former nursing classmates, Chapel Hill’s First Nightingales, compiled stories from their college days and medical career milestones into a book, “Ahead of Our Time.”
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Comments from the Nurses
Gwen
Life has been a great ride because of her time and training at Chapel Hill — Gwen who became an administrator of a 160-bed nursing home.
“We were taught many valuable lessons in addition to nursing, and it has all fallen into place through the years,” she said.
Janet
“I feel as though I touched many lives along the way, and more than a nurse, I was also a friend who cared. I am thankful that I had the educational skills and ‘people skills’ that helped me achieve my success,” Janet who was a registered nurse.
Bette
Being part of the nursing program influenced career choices, Davis said.
“In various circumstances during the evolvement of my career, opportunities arose by happenstance, rather than design, for me to be a trailblazer or to be first. Whenever the next step presented itself, I simply took it.”
In the summer of 1971, a graduate of Yale School of Nursing (1971), Davis transferred to the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and was one of the first five clinical nurse specialists (CNS) introduced to the facility who wore white lab coats.
“The medical staff was puzzled about these nurses who wore lab coats like physicians. It quickly became apparent that each of us was in demand by nurses for our nursing specialties, but also from other members of the health care team. We wrote on patients’ progress notes instead of separate nurses’ notes – another first for our hospital,” Davis said. “We were happy and excited to be part of this change in nursing practice, even with inevitable adjustments.”
Bette Davis, a member of the Chapel Hill School of Nursing first female class, is shown with a book written by the classmates. There are 13 remaining of the 17 graduates. They recently attended the class of 1955 reunion and launched the book, “Ahead of Our Time” during the campus reunion weekend events.
