April is Informed Woman Month, a month to celebrate women’s rights to stay informed, receive a quality education, and work in a place free of discrimination. Originating in 1908 when 15,000 women in New York marched for better pay, voting rights, and good working hours, the celebration morphed into a global cause, International Women’s Day (now recognized in March).
But in April we still tip our hat to the importance of informed, educated women and their contributions to society. Denver College of Nursing salutes 5 important trailblazers, both early and modern, who embody Informed Woman Month with their education and significant contributions to healthcare.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)
- Dr. Blackwell is credited with earning the first medical degree awarded to a woman in 1849. She was initially rejected to every medical school she applied to, and when she was finally accepted to Geneva College in New York, she learned her acceptance had been meant as a practical joke.
- She persevered through bias and discrimination, and it paid off. She graduated at the top of her class and went on to open the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, ultimately founding her own medical college in New York City.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895)
- Dr. Crumpler was the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in the US. She worked first as a nurse before being accepted to the New England School of Medicine in 1860.
- She practiced in Boston and then Virginia, teaming up with other Black physicians to provide medical care to freed slaves who didn’t have access to healthcare. Her expertise proved invaluable as she cared for a population shut out of medical care.
Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919)
- Dr. Walker was many things—abolitionist, women’s rights advocate, surgeon—but perhaps is most noted for being the first female US Army surgeon in the Civil War.
- She treated soldiers on the front lines and often crossed those lines to care for “enemy” soldiers and civilians in need of medical attention. She received the Medal of Honor from President Andrew Johnson for her war work.
Virginia Apgar (1909-1974)
- If you have a child or work in pediatrics, you know what an Apgar score is. We can thank Dr. Virginia Apgar, a leader in anesthesiology and renowned teacher, for developing this important health rubric in 1952 for assessing newborn babies.
- The test measures an infant’s breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and pulse to determine a newborn’s health. Apgar’s work was instrumental in decreasing infant mortality.
Nanette Kass Wenger (1930-present)
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, and we have cardiology specialist Dr. Wenger to thank for the research that led to this understanding.
- Previously, it was thought heart disease primarily affected men. Dr. Wenger’s medical discoveries have played a key role in reducing disease and death due to heart disease in women.
If these female trailblazers and the aims of Informed Woman Month inspire you to pursue an education in nursing, Denver College of Nursing can help you explore your options. Learn more about our nursing program options and give us a call at (800) 600-6604 to speak to one of our admissions advisors or to schedule a campus tour.