Unsung Nursing Hero : Viola Elizabeth Garcia By Ygnacia Rivas
This article won second place in the 2021 American Association for the History of Nursing ( AAHN ) Essay Contest . To learn more , visit :
www . aahn . org
One issue about history is there are many unsung heroes we never hear of as their stories are lost . That is especially true in the history of individuals who happen to be of a minority . Yet , their actions and fortitude often are what saved the day and the lives of many . Such is the case of Native American nurse and first lieutenant of the U . S . Army Nurse Corps ( ANC ) Viola Elizabeth Garcia , member of the Catawba Indian Nation .
Living during the Great Depression , Viola did not give up on her high school studies even after the lack of funds closed her school ; she finally graduated high school at the age of 21 after struggling to find classes . Viola declined to be a cook ’ s assistant after her high school graduation ; with her school counselor ’ s help , she applied to many nursing schools . At the time , nursing schools believed that Viola was too old at 21 to be part of nursing programs and that , as a Native American , she could not hope to be a real nurse due to her culture and race . However , she was finally accepted at one nursing school , Sage Memorial , which was opened by Clarence Salisbury , MD , and his wife Cora , RN , to educate Native Americans to be great , capable nurses ( A Nurse ’ s Journey , 2013 ).
“ The school trained women from more than twenty tribes and several foreign countries . The state of Arizona accredited the institution , and its graduates were highly regarded in their field ,” according to the Navajo Health Foundation Sage Memorial Hospital ( History , 2019 ). Dr . Salisbury believed that , to serve the Native American tribes such as the Navajo , there was a need for Native
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