Nurses are oftentimes unsung heroes that are left in the shadows of doctors who get much of the credit. The group of nurses featured here left a beautiful mark on the history of healthcare that could never be erased.

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Nurses are oftentimes unsung heroes that are left in the shadows of doctors who get much of the credit.

The group of nurses featured below left a beautiful mark on the history of healthcare that could never be erased. Many times, in the face of adversity, these women gave their all to their patients and careers, many times behind the scenes and without recognition. That’s why WE honor them. We have seen their effort, and their history-making triumphs that have laid the groundwork for many nurses today. Take a look below at just some of the groundbreaking nurses throughout history.

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(Estelle Massey Osborne / Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Born in 1901, Estelle Massey Osborne became the first black woman to earn a master’s degree in nursing. But this isn’t the only fact that distinguishes her. Throughout her career, Osborne dedicated herself to improving the options available to black nurses across the country. Her goal was to ensure that black nurses received just as high-caliber an education as their white counterparts.

In 1943, Osborne became a consultant for the National Nursing Council for War Services and helped to get the color ban lifted from nursing in the US Army and Navy. She also assisted in almost doubling, within two years, the number of training schools that would accept black students.

Then in 1945 she became the first black member of New York University’s teaching faculty and used her position to continue to fight for black nurses’ rights. Osborne’s legacy lives on in the form of the Estelle Massey Osborne Scholarship for registered black nurses interested in studying a nursing master’s degree full time.

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(Jessie Sleet Scales / Photo credit: Blackpast.org)

Another pioneering African-American nurse was Jessie Sleet Scales, who in 1900 became America’s first black public health nurse. Trained in Chicago, Scales moved to New York and, after trying unsuccessfully for months to find a job, became a district nurse for the Charity Organization Society.

Scales was originally hired to deal with tuberculosis in the city’s black community, which had few healthcare options and a deep-seated resistance to formal medical care. Her work quickly expanded to include everything from childbirth and chicken pox to heart disease and cancer. Her workload was staggering: As she outlined in a 1901 article for the American Journal of Nursing, her caseload in a single two-month period included 156 calls on 41 families.

Scales’ work inspired other organizations to hire black community health nurses, some of whom were selected on her recommendation. She was a pioneer in what we now call culturally appropriate care.

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(Lillian Holland Harvey / Photo credit: Pinterest.com)

Registered nurse Lillian Holland Harvey is best known for her work in education. She became Dean of Tuskegee University School of Nursing in 1948 and held the position for nearly 30 years. During her time as Dean, Harvey was pivotal in establishing and offering Alabama’s first Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The program offered students a strong education, complete with hands-on hospital experience – both locally and out of state.

Harvey believed that everyone deserved professional acknowledgement, regardless of his or her background. Even the harsh segregation rules of the 1940s didn’t deter her, and she went on to achieve a number of honors. Harvey’s graduates say that she impacted their lives strongly and led by example. She showed them the importance of advancing their education, striking a balance between work and family life, and finding ways to get involved with their local communities.

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(Mable Keaton Staupers / Photo credit: Blackpast.org)

Mabel Keaton Staupers (1890–1989), originally from Barbados, became a U.S. citizen in 1917 and studied nursing at Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing in Washington, D.C.. Like Scales, a major focus of her early career was on battling tuberculosis, which had hit the black community especially hard. She helped to establish the inpatient tuberculosis clinic at the Booker T. Washington Sanatorium and later became executive secretary of the Harlem Tuberculosis Committee.

Staupers also worked hard to improve the status of African-American nurses. During World War II, she led the campaign to integrate black nurses in the Army Nurse Corps, meeting with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to explain the folly of the president’s plan to draft white nurses while black nurses were either unemployed or allowed to treat only POWs and black soldiers. Thanks to that effort, President Franklin Roosevelt ended racial enlistment restrictions for Army nurses in 1945.

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(Harriet Tubman / Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Harriet Tubman was an all-round inspirational figure who risked her life countless times to free others from the same slavery into which she had been born. But the 300 or so slaves she led to freedom weren’t the only people’s lives she changed. Tubman served as a nurse during the American Civil War and used her knowledge of herbal medicine to treat wounded soldiers on the island of Port Royal off the coast of South Carolina.

Using traditional remedies, Tubman cured many soldiers of dysentery and smallpox. And because she didn’t contract smallpox herself, stories spread that she had been blessed by God.

Tubman’s work was so outstanding that one Union general pushed for Congress to give her a pension for her efforts. After the war was over, Tubman continued to nurse others and helped found a home for the elderly.

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(Brigadier General Hazel Johnson-Brown, RN, Ph.D. / Photo credit: Rowan University

2. Brigadier General Hazel Johnson-Brown, RN, Ph.D.

When Hazel W. Johnson-Brown tried to gain admission to a local hospital, she was told, “We’ve never had a black person in our program, and we never will.” Fortunately, despite the racial obstacles in her path, Johnson-Brown persevered and did become a nurse.

She studied at the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated in 1950. She then joined the army, working in Japan and later Korea during her service. In the 1960s, she also trained Vietnam-bound surgical nurses.
Johnson-Brown’s abilities in the operating theater led to her climbing the ranks in the army. She eventually became the first black woman to be promoted to brigadier general and the first to head the 7,000-strong US Army Nurse Corps.

As well as her Harlem diploma, Johnson-Brown achieved a nursing bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and an educational administration PhD. And to top it all off, she was awarded a number of distinguished military decorations in addition to being named Army Nurse of the Year twice.

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Isabella Baumfree – better known by her self-given name Sojourner Truth – was born into slavery in Ulster County, New York in 1797. And although she would later gain fame as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth was originally a nurse who served a family named the Dumonts. She was promised her freedom a year before the 1827 Emancipation Act, but when her owner changed his mind, she fled with her young daughter Sophia in 1826.

In her later years, Truth worked at the National Freedman’s Relief Association in Washington D.C., where she strove to improve the cleanliness and quality of care. But perhaps most notably, Truth used her strong voice and eloquent speeches to urge Congress to finance training programs for nurses.

In an age before any formal nurse training existed, Truth’s perception and advocacy of the need for such education remain truly legendary. And all this from a nine-year-old girl who was thrown in with a flock of sheep for $100.

7 Black Nurses Who Changed History Forever

The Texas Hospital Association (THA) has endorsed Nomad Health as a partner in helping local hospitals more efficiently and effectively fill temporary physician staffing positions.

Two months ago, we launched our marketplace for clinical jobs in Texas (yeehaw!). Since then, we’re happy to report that we’ve already been working with thousands of clinicians and dozens of healthcare facilities across the Lone Star State.

Now, we’re proud to share some more great news. The 

 as a partner in helping local hospitals more efficiently and effectively fill temporary physician staffing positions.

, which collectively employ some 365,000 healthcare professionals statewide. Since 1930, the organization has been dedicated to improving accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans.

Of the new relationship, Ted Shaw, President and CEO of THA, had this to say:

“Finding and hiring great talent is a constant and costly challenge for Texas healthcare organizations. There is a tremendous need for better tools for hiring. As soon as we saw Nomad Health’s innovative platform, we immediately recognized it is as a huge leap forward for the industry. We are confident that it will make staffing simpler, faster, and more impactful, and we look forward to helping our members get on board with this exciting technology.”

Healthcare staffing is a growing problem in Texas.

“From the pioneering cardiac surgery contributions of Dr. DeBakey and Dr. Cooley to the invention of mammography at MD Anderson, to other advances too numerous to count, Nomad Health is thrilled to partner with the Texas Hospital Association to continue this tradition by solving critical challenges on behalf of Texan patients.”

We couldn’t be more excited to work together with THA to meaningfully speed up the introduction of our dynamic staffing solutions to medical employers across the state.

We’re Teaming Up with the Texas Hospital Association!

We are thrilled today to introduce the Nomad Navigators! The Nomad Navigators are a newly formed superteam within Nomad Health that is here to provide concierge-level support to all Nomad clinicians.

! The Nomad Navigators are a newly formed superteam within Nomad Health that is here to provide concierge-level support to all doctors, nurses, and medical employers.

The Navigators are here to support all healthcare professionals in navigating their careers in healthcare, or finding great clinical talent. The team is also here to help those who are new to Nomad and are interested in learning more about how our recruiter-free healthcare jobs marketplace works.

The Navigators will help guide you throughout your clinical job search, triage any problems you encounter, and make sure your journey to finding the perfect job (or the perfect hire) is smooth.

Meet our Nomad Navigators (including our naviGator below!):

We are here to help you not only find your next clinical job, but also, plan your future. Since we are all extensively trained in the clinical search process and we talk to doctors and nurses like you everyday, we are happy to share our informed recommendations. Whether you’re an experienced “Locum Pro” seeking help perfecting your resume, or a resident searching for your first job, we are here to guide you. Are you a nurse interested in traveling for the first time? We’re here to answer all your questions and suggest jobs that would be a great match for your preferences.

No question is too big or small. As you’re getting started, ask us about how to 

. See a job you’re on the fence about? Let us know and we can offer candid advice on the pros and cons. Not every job is “perfect” for all clinicians. We want you to have a smooth experience on the Nomad website that extends into your life in a new job.

Let us know how we can improve your experience. No doctor, nurse, or employer has the same ideal path in mind, and we believe you should not receive the same support. Can you think of a medical employer you’d love to work for that isn’t already on Nomad? Tell us! We are happy to work our magic. Want to uproot and move across the country? We will pay for your new license once you score a job on Nomad. We are here to listen to any and all requests. 

The Nomad Navigators are excited to hear from you!

Need help with your job search, or have a few questions about how to use Nomad? The Nomad Navigators are ready to chat with you!

We’re very excited to take your clinical job search experience to the next level. Our 

 are looking forward to helping you and we hope to connect with you soon!

Introducing the Nomad Navigators!

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re partnering with HANYS Solutions. Our partnership will support our joint efforts to modernize the way New York state hospitals and health systems hire critically needed doctors and nurses.

New Yorkers, get excited! Connecting great clinicians to great medical employers in the Empire State - while skipping middlemen recruiters - just got a supercharged boost. 🗽

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re partnering with 

, New York’s statewide hospital and healthcare association! HANYS is the only association that represents 

, including over 250 facilities statewide. Our partnership will support our joint efforts to modernize the way New York state hospitals and health systems hire critically needed doctors and nurses.

“With an aging workforce and growing clinician shortages, our members have been struggling with physician and nurse recruiting, particularly in rural areas,” said Michael Ilnicki, Executive Vice President of HANYS Solutions. “We find Nomad Health's modern approach and platform to be the best solution to address the recruitment challenges our members are facing.”

Our partnership with HANYS will help us serve over 

 in the country. On Nomad, all doctors and nurses can chat directly with medical employers in New York online - removing middlemen agency recruiters from the hiring process. Doctor and nurse jobs in New York include locum tenens (freelance), permanent, and travel nursing opportunities. All job details, including pay rates, dates, institution names, and more, are all listed transparently online.

“Nomad Health is proud to be headquartered right here in New York City, so we are particularly excited to partner with HANYS Solutions to help both doctors and nurses find their dreams jobs and solve the critical healthcare workforce challenges in our home state,” said our co-founder and CEO, Alexi Nazem, MD.

We couldn’t be more honored to work together with HANYS Solutions to meaningfully speed up the introduction of our dynamic staffing solutions to medical employers across the state. With this partnership, we hope to help all doctors and nurses find fantastic jobs throughout the Big Apple - all while skipping the hassles of recruiters or paperwork.

Interested in applying for a doctor or nursing job in New York? If you’re an existing member, 

to view all our jobs in New York and chat with employers directly for free.

 to join Nomad for free and start your search.

We’re Partnering with the Healthcare Association of New York State Solutions!

We have some exciting news to share with you. Last month, Nomad Health raised its Series B round of funding!

We have some exciting news to share with you. Last month, Nomad Health raised its 

This is a major milestone for our team and for the many amazing healthcare professionals like you who have used and loved Nomad. As we look to the future, we are excited to keep building great new technology to simplify healthcare staffing. We're also excited that this new funding will allow us to expand Nomad in 2018 and bring you great jobs from across the nation.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank YOU! Without you we would not be where we are today. More than 40,000 clinicians and 1,000 healthcare facilities are using Nomad to fill over 

 Your interest, contributions, and feedback have been instrumental in getting Nomad here, and we are eager to work with you as we continue to innovate and grow.

 If you have ideas for how we can improve Nomad, please don’t hesitate to email me directly at 

 And of course, if you have enjoyed your experience with Nomad, please 

Nomad Health Raises Series B Round of Funding

Happy 2019! It's January which means its time for another round of new years resolutions. One of our favorites? Always keep learning! 

So we figured, what better way to kick off that resolution than with some great new years trivia?

How did you do? Don't worry we've got one more for you:

What month is considered "moving month" in the job search world?

 According to LinkedIn data, more people change jobs in January than any other month. 

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Whether this is due to new years resolutions, a need for change, or an influx of new opportunities, January is a great time to start looking for a new job! 

Here on Nomad, we support your search for opportunities all year round, but in the spirit of the moving month, we wanted to share all of the new things you can expect from Nomad in 2019!

2018 was a big year of growth for Nomad. From January 2018 to January 2019, 

In terms of travel nursing jobs, we only had opportunities in four states in January of 2018. 

We now offer travel nursing opportunities across a total of 47 states. 

Physician jobs tell a similar story. We were only live in 11 states in January of 2018. 

Now we offer opportunities for doctors across all 50 states - plus the District of Columbia!

In 2019 we plan to continue to this growth trajectory and exponentially grow our job inventory to provide opportunities that fit our clinician's job interests all over the country. 

As a job search platform, we're constantly making improvements to make finding your next job as seamless and easy as possible. 

A few of our favorite features that we added in 2018 include:

In 2019 we're looking to continue improving our job matching algorithm to better provide you with the perfect job recommendations for your interests.

We're also actively expanding our Nomad Navigators team to provide all of our clinicians the hands-on support they need before, during, after, and between each opportunity they find through Nomad. 

Keep an eye out for all of the great things we'll be launching throughout the year! 

We're planning many new things for the upcoming year but the most important one is providing you a new way to find the job of your dreams through Nomad. 

We're excited to continue growing and we welcome any 

 that you have! We want to make sure we're building the tools that you want to enhance your job search, so please feel free to reach out at any time to support@nomadhealth.com. 

2019: What's New on Nomad!

Congratulations to Angela, the winner of our May "Travel in Style" Sweepstakes! We had a chance to chat with Angela to learn more about her journey as a nurse and why she loved being a traveler!

I’ve been a nurse a little over 19 years.  The first 7 years were in Cardiac, Surgical ICU and I’ve been in the OR since 2007.  I have traveled in both the ICU and the OR for a combined total of about 3 years.  I am currently in Santa Barbara, CA in a permanent position.  

My aunt was an LPN, my mom worked nights in a hospital when I was young and I've always had a intuitive sense about health.  

I wanted to see other parts of the country and experience what nursing was like elsewhere.  I met a lot of great people and learned some great lessons!‍

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What do you love about travel nursing as a career?

The freedom!  If I want to take time off, I can. I also liked not being part of the institution and thus not getting mired down in the drama that can sometimes happen.  

Nomad seems to be a company that takes care of their employees.  I love that a recruiter isn’t required and thus you end up making more.  

Would you recommend Nomad to other travel nurses? If so, why? 

Absolutely!  And I have. Because I think this should be the way travel nursing is.  Unless you are brand new to travel nursing, you already know what you want and need in an assignment and lets face it, at the end of the day, although we have a myriad of altruistic reasons for doing what we do, we travel for the money.  

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What are you most excited about from your Giveaway haul?  

Oh my gosh! It's all exciting! Everything is getting used daily. The gravity blanket is amazing! I love the headphones, the Naturebox snacks are yummy.  I'm cooking a Blue Apron meal as I type this.  The iPhone is sweet! I haven't gone anywhere to use the Away suitcase but I'm excited to do so.  I honestly can't believe I won!

And finally, what are some pieces of advice you have for those looking to travel for the first time? 

Angela is Ready to "Travel in Style"!

On January 19, 2018, the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) will change over to the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). On this date, nurses with multistate licenses may begin practicing in eNLC states.

, the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) will change over to the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). On this date, nurses with multistate licenses may begin practicing in eNLC states.

 that will be part of the eNLC, but not all of the original 25 NLC states are changing over. Read on to see if your state will be part of the eNLC, and what you need to do depending on your state’s status.

 on why this shift is happening in the first place. Back in 2015, the Board of Nursing (BON) executive officers approved the eNLC to replace the original NLC and add extra protections. This shift will also make it easier for new states to join in the future and move towards the goal of all states joining the eNLC.

Similar to the NLC, nurses with licenses in eNLC states will be able to provide care to patients in other eNLC states without having to obtain additional licenses.

There are a number of states moving from the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) to the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact (eNLC).

Here is where every state stands as of December 14, 2020. You can also see the status of your state on 

States With Pending Enhanced NLC Legislation

States Not in the Compact (not a current NLC state, no pending eNLC legislation)

*Partial Implementation: New Jersey is allowing nurses who hold active, unencumbered, multi-state licenses issued by Nurse Licensure Compact member states to practice in New Jersey under their multi-state licenses.

To start learning about this shift, we suggest you watch these videos:

What you need to worry about largely depends on which of these situations you fall in.

 are a helpful resource if you have questions.

If you have any additional questions on the shift to the eNLC, or how to get licensed, 

If you haven’t yet registered for Nomad, 

We're very excited about this expansion of the nursing licensure compact which makes it easier for nurses to help those in need nationally. By focusing on making it easier for new states to join in the future and moving towards the goal of all states joining the eNLC, the eNLC is vital to addressing the growing problem if clinician shortages.

Wishing all of our nurses the best of luck with their job search!

Nurses: The eNLC Is Coming, Are You Ready?

In December 2017, New York passed legislation mandating that all new nurses in the state must earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) within 10 years of initial licensure.

 that all new nurses in the state must earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) within 10 years of initial licensure. Nurses who are currently enrolled in nursing programs or hold a license in New York are exempt - regardless of degree level. 

All other nurses run the risk of having their license suspended if they do not get a BSN within 10 years.

For nurses to obtain an RN license, they must graduate from an 

. Several types of programs are available, including nursing diplomas, two-year associate degrees or four-year bachelor’s degrees.

 If you’ve already achieved RN status through an associate’s degree program, enrolling in an RN-BSN program is the next logical step if you’re looking for career advancement. The good news is an RN-BSN program can be completed while you continue working as a nurse, which means you’ll advance your career without having to take time off.

BSN programs incorporate both coursework and clinical practice. The curriculum includes general education requirements, as well as courses focusing on topics like anatomy, physiology, biology and nutrition.

For nurses with an associate’s degree or certification, an RN-BSN program will use your previous coursework as a foundation for learning. RN-BSN programs are more focused on science-based learning and nursing skills instruction. Classes include things like:

Historically, nurses who obtain a BSN have been given more responsibility and better pay. However, the move to encourage all nurses to get a BSN is due to the increasing complexity of the American healthcare system. As one of the most important roles on the healthcare team, New York sets a precedence for academic excellence when it comes to nursing.

 This is actually not the first time a BSN requirement has been in place for nurses. North Dakota 

, when it was overturned because of the negative effect it was having on the nursing shortage in the state.

This change in New York has been 14 years in the making. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine released a 

 calling for 80% of RNs to hold a BSN by 2020. This is related to a focus on increased quality of nursing care. 

 that for each 10% increase in nurses with BSN degrees, there is a 5% decline in risk-adjusted patient mortality. Though the percentage of nurses with a BSN has increased from 50% in 60% since that report was released, there is still ground to be made on that goal.

For a large state like New York with 297,331 total nurses, passing this legislation sets a precedence for other states. Experts predict that other states will follow suit in the next few years.

Onto the most important question - does this apply to you? This is how it breaks down:

 for all the details if you’re feeling ambitious. The 

 in New York will also be publishing more information on the bill in the near future.

Here are some ways to start taking action now on Nomad:

We’re keeping a close eye on the implications this change has for our nurses - those working in New York as well as other states. As other states start to consider also making this change, we’ll be sure to make sure our nurses remain informed!

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