From 1923 to 1974 North Carolina Baptist Hospital operated a nursing school.  Although the school no longer exists, its alumni remain very active and proud of their alma mater.  Graduates of the North Carolina Baptist Hospital School of Nursing work closely with the Dorothy Carpenter Medical Archives in order to preserve the history of the school.  The Archives maintains a large collection of nursing materials and is grateful to the nurses for donating their artifacts as well as helping to support the preservation of those artifacts.  We are especially grateful for the Lucille Cain Hartman Fund for Nursing Archives. 

This online exhibit shares parts of the Nursing School Collection with internet users.  As it is nearly impossible to put an entire collection online, visitors are encouraged to view the Nursing Collection in person by visiting the Archives.  Items in the Nursing School collection include personal collections, textbooks, yearbooks, scrapbooks, textiles, photographs and school transcripts, among other items.

Items available online:

A Brief History of the NCBH School of Nursing

In conjunction with the opening of the 88-bed, 22 bassinet North Carolina Baptist Hospital, the Baptist Hospital School of Nursing opened in 1923. The first class of 15 students was under the leadership of Miss Edna Heinzerling, RN, Director of the School of Nursing, as well as Director of Nurses for the Hospital.

The education of the first student nurses included instruction by physicians and nurses, as well as working long hours in the hospital. The standard nursing attire included a long-sleeved blue uniform with a white apron, bib, collar, and cuffs. Black shoes and stockings were later changed to white. The white cap with black band became a standard part of the student uniform. The banding ceremony, at which the graduate nurse received a wide black velvet band, was a hallmark to which student nurses aspired. The first commencement exercise, held on May 25, 1926 at the First Baptist Church, graduated 10 students. Each graduate received a diploma and a North Carolina Baptist Hospital pin. This black and gold pin was embossed with the Florence Nightingale lamp. Ms. Heinzerling resigned in 1931 and was succeeded by Miss Lillian Anderson, RN. Ms. Heinzerling returned to her position in 1932, but due to illness was forced to resign again in 1936. Ms. Ruth Council, RN succeeded Ms. Heinzerling. During her tenure, the nursing school continued to increase enrollments, and in 1936, 18 living quarters were added to Blanche Barrus Nurses’ Home.

In 1939 Ms. Council resigned, and Mrs. Leatha Smithdeal, RN, a Baptist graduate was appointed Acting Director of Nursing. Under her leadership, both graduate nurses and nursing students celebrated a dramatic change in their schedules. Their work week was reduced from ten hours per day, seven days per week to eight hours per day. Mrs. Smithdeal was successful in constructing a six day work week for graduate nurses. She pioneered Public Health Nursing as a curriculum elective and established pediatric affiliations with Children’s Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh.

Just cause for celebration came in 1941 with the return of Ms. Heinzerling. During her absence, she had remained professionally involved by editing the historical text, The History of Nursing in North Carolina by Mary Lewis Wyche.

The Year 1941 also marked expansion at Baptist Hospital. The hospital increased its capacity to over 270 beds and 50 bassinets, and opened the first hospital pharmacy. This new service, under the direction of Mr. E.W. Rollins, Chief Pharmacist, replaced a small Drug Room where the Director of Nurses and her assistants acquired medications which they dispensed to patients throughout the hospital.

Bowman Gray School of Medicine published its first yearbook, The Gray Matter, in 1942, and one year later The School of Nursing published its first yearbook, The Lamp. These yearbooks were combined in 1944 when seniors of both medical and nursing schools voted to publish one joint yearbook, The Gray and White Matter.

The formation of the North Carolina Student Nurses’ Association and the election of Dorothy Inscore O’Briant, SN as the first president of the association marked a historic occasion in 1951. Ms. O’Briant was characterized by nursing instructors as an individual with tremendous leadership ability who served as a role model to which other students aspired.

Mrs. Joyce Warren, RN, AB, BS succeeded Ms. Heinzerling as Director of Nursing and Director of the School of Nursing in 1952. Under her guidance in 1956, the School of Nursing became the largest diploma school in North Carolina. National accreditation was achieved in 1959, recognizing the excellence of the education program and placing the school among the elite few.

When Ms. Warren retired in 1973, Mrs. Gwen Andrews, RN, MSN was promoted to the position of Director of Nursing. It was during this time that the nursing profession advocated that educational preparation of nurses move from hospital-based facilities to institutions of higher learning – promoting the Associate, Baccalaureate, Master of Science, and Doctoral Degrees. The era of the diploma program at the Medical Center ended in 1974 with the graduating class of 85 senior nursing students.

-Taken from Celebrating Challenges: Celebrating Contributions of Nurses in Creating a Health Care Culture