Narrative
Mary Eliza Mahoney is regarded as the first black nurse in U.S. History. She entered the New England Hospital's nursing program at the age of 33 and was the first black nurse to graduate from an American Nursing School with a professional nursing license in the U.S. Prior to pursuing nursing education, she worked in the New England Hospital for over 15 years as a janitor, cook, washerwoman, and nurse's aide. She played a pivotal role in the creation of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908 to fight against discrimination in the nursing profession and to increase access to nursing education for the black community.
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