Her professionalism and shining reputation earned praise not only for her but for the black community.Mahoney also aimed to change the way African American nurses were perceived by patients.Mahoney pushed for the distinguishing of the two professions.At the time, African American nurses were treated more as household helpers rather than professionals.After graduation, Mahoney worked as a private care nurse for wealthy families.Mary Mahoney was the first black professional nurse in the United States. Mahoney completed the program and graduated in 1879 as a registered nurse, together with three other colleagues.The last two months of the program required the student nurses to put their knowledge to good use in hospitals or family homes.On top of receiving nursing education, Mahoney also worked as a private-duty nurse where she earned a weekly salary of 1 to 4 dollars for a few months.Daily work in the wards lasted from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM.She was also required to attend lectures and gain instruction through doctors in the wards.As part of her program training, she had to spend at least a year observing and learning in different hospital wards to gain knowledge about nursing. Despite Mahoney’s age, she was admitted to the program because of her 15-years experience in the institution as a helper and cook which began when she was 18.The program accepted 40 applicants at a time and selected students between 21 and 31 years of age.The healthcare field was dominated by men and the NEHWC was the first hospital to offer such a program for women to pursue a career in the industry.At 33 years old, she was granted admission into an extensive 16-month program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children (NEHWC) in 1878.She developed her interest in nursing while in Phillips School.She attended Phillips School from first to fourth grade.At 10 years old, Mahoney was admitted into the Phillips School, one of Boston’s first integrated schools.Mary was a devout baptist and attended the People’s Baptist Church in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts.Mary was the eldest child and had one sister and one brother.
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