Deaconess Hospital

Here is my Alma Mater.

I attended the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing from 1965 to graduate in 1968. They had a diploma program, which meant the nurses trained in the hospital. While our first year included intensive academic training at Whitworth College, the remaining two years were full time hospital classes and hospital work.

Kendal was born here in 1979.

In Honor of More Than 2000 Nurses

Deaconess Hospital sponsored a School of Nursing for 92 years. To honor over 2000 who graduated, and to keep their memory and their contribution alive, they developed a series of information boards. Each board was 4 x 8 feet long. There were a total of 18 boards down a very long hallway, located in the educational wing of the hospital on the fourth floor.

This hallway and presentation was called "A Kaleidoscope of Love".

Boards of Information

Our program was a three year program, going year round without any summers off.

When looking at each list of graduates, you might find a red cross, a black cross, or a blue star after the name of the nurse. Here you see what that designation symbolized.

Caps and Uniforms

Caps and the student uniforms are a very important part of the history of any nursing college.
Deaconess had 4 styles of caps through the years; the one on the far right is the style of mine.

The top row shows the student uniforms for 1899 - 1911. The uniform designed in 1911 was worn through 1929. Note the black overcoat labeled 'Methodist Deaconess'. It was worn over the long uniforms, and later replaced by the navy and red cape as seen below.

These designs went from 1930 until the end of the school. My uniform was designed in 1959. I was lucky - we did not have any of the white stiff aprons to starch and iron. Note that these uniforms are much shorter in length.

My uniform was a blue and white pinstripe made of a very comfortable cotton polyester. They were easy to care for and required very little ironing. We were also the first to wear a lighter stocking, rather than heavy white cotton stockings.

We had to buy our own uniforms and care for them. Before some of the girls graduated the uniforms were thread bare and some of the hems were being held up with tape!

Capping Ceremony

The Capping Ceremony was a very important event in our lives. We received our cap after our first year of training. In addition to a very full year at Whitworth College, we had weekly classes at the hospital and worked in the hospital.

A semester at Whitworth College looked something like this:
Physiology
Physiology Lab
Chemistry
Chemistry Lab
Nutrition
Microbiology
Microbiology Lab
Bible 101 The Study of Mark
Psychology

We lost more than 50% of our students before the first year was over. It seemed their goal to break us.

First Graduating Class - 1901

This picture of nurses with babies was very interesting to me. Note the old cribs! I do not know why some of the nurses had black stockings.

Under the year 1924 and the heading 'From Student Nursing Records' you would read these words: The new morals of the twenties challenged the nursing leaders. One student was discharged for her cigarette habit. Several were disciplined for bobbing their hair. In addition, the students were warned of the sinful nature of dancing.

Graduation Classes of 1948 - 1955

Naola McLain Lacock graduated in the year 1954.

Naola is in the top row, third one to the right.

Graduation Classes of 1963 - 1972

My graduating class of 1968 is found on this board.

Roll call had one fun note for any new teacher.
Going down the names she would call
'Mary Moore', then 'Mary Muchmoore'.
That always brought a puzzled look from the teacher and a laugh from the class.

I am the bottom right.

We are in our graduation outfits, complete with white uniforms, white nylons, white shoes and a cap with the black strip (which designated the completion of 2 years of training)
and our pin in the corner of our cap (which designated our graduation).