Appalachian Nursing

This work provides an in-depth examination of early healthcare and the evolution of professional nursing in the heart of Appalachia. Existing histories of Appalachian healthcare tend to focus on physicians, with little written about the evolution of nursing in the region and the nurses’ roles, experiences, and contributions. During a time when access to healthcare was limited or nonexistent, nurses played a prominent role in the health and well-being of Appalachian communities. Archival materials, reports, journals, personal letters, memoirs, and oral histories provide insight into the nurses’ activities, dedication, resilience, and innovation in delivering early healthcare care to rural and isolated Appalachian communities.

Sharon Loury is an associate professor of nursing at East Tennessee State University and has taught nursing for 29 years. She served as the ETSU College of Nursing’s historian where she developed the college’s history in celebration of their 60th anniversary and has presented on the history of nursing at numerous local, regional, and international conferences.

Sharon Loury
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 203
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7541-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5494-2
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies

Acknowledgments       vii
Preface       1
Introduction       3
I. Geographic Setting and Early Healthcare       7
II. The Evolution of Nursing Education and Professional Nursing       24
III. Early Nursing Practice       74
Conclusion       173
References       175
Index       189