Running head: LILLIAN WALD VISITING NURSE SERVICE
Kerrion Smith
Lillian Wald Visiting Nurse Service
Molloy College
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Lillian D Wald one of the most influential and respected social reformers of
the 20th century, was born March 10, 1867, to a German Jewish middle class family
in Ohio. Lillian Wald was born in America and spent most of her childhood in Ohio,
where she earn her degree in nursing and went on the medical school. At the
beginning of Lillian’s nursing career she would spend most of her time helping the
poor and their families. Henry Street Settlement founder a tireless and
accomplished humanitarian, and descended from a family of Jewish professionals,
at age 22 Wald came to Manhattan to attend the New York Hospital School of
Nursing. She was an author and a humanitarian that sort for healthcare and
contributed to human rights movement. She was well known in the late nineteenth
century has one of the nurses that pave the way for pediatric nursing and safe care
for women, she try to put and end to deplorable conditions that children had to live
in. She improved healthcare for children, and saved the lives of many infants. Back
in these times children were seen has property for families, and their health were
not the main priorities of families. Children mortality rate were so high, smallpoxinoculated infants. (ESM, pg 4). Has the wave of immigrant came to America, so did
the rise of childbirth and health problem in the nineteenth century. Poverty stricken
overcrowded community were force to drink unrefrigerated contaminated milk that
came from cows with tuberculosis. Lillian Wald became aware of the problem and
initiated public health nursing at Henry Street Settlement house in New York City.
Wald’s vision took off through the Henry Street Settlement House, which
comprises of her own team of nurses that would provide care for the poor. Lillian
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Wald was a well-rounded individual, she would teach young woman how to cook
and sew which gave them some type of skills. Lillian Wald looks beyond race and
culture, and she provided equal care to everyone in need of healthcare.
Lillian was never associated with anyone that was significant enough to be
mentioned, she lived a selfless life. She put her work and others ahead of her
personal needs. Until today her legacy lives on, President Franklin Roosevelt once
payed her compliment stating that Wald offer,” unselfish labor to promote the
happiness and well being of others”. Lillian Wald is a prime example of what a true
nurse advocate is, and she is still been spoken about in today’s nursing care. The
Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN) and Henry Street Settlement (HSS) partnered up
to bring nursing back to basic. Through this combined foundation, it allows for
Lillian Wald Legacy to live on after centuries.
Lillian’s Henry foundations opens doors of opportunity for lower east side
NYC . The Henry Street foundation is still active, and their main goal is to help the
sick and needy. Lillian Wald pioneered public health nursing by instituting nurses
in public schools system. Lillian Wald was apart of many committee where she
serve has advocates for people who was unable to help themselves, few of which
are children, labor, immigrant, civil and women's rights. She helped institute the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the United States Children's Bureau.
Lillian Wald seek equality and safe healthcare for all, she offer such rich roots for
her fellow peers, Lillian is what we aspire to be like as we journey through the nursing
program and life. Lillian might have had a rich background and a very successful career.
but one thing a woman wants more than any other is to be wife and a mom, neither of
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which she was .Lillian spent most of her days working , and it was a day like this that
Lillian agreed to teach hand hygiene which would change her life forever
Wald often gear all her attention in the interest of children and women, making
sure they were safe. She offered her supported in the development of National Women’s
Trade League. She also directed the Red Cross and through her vision, she inoculated all
cases of influenza (FM). Has time goes by, Lillian’s health was deteriorating, by 1936;
she had heart issues, along with chronic anemia. Over time this took a toll on her health,
she eventually, laid down the torch in 1933 has the head of the Henry Street Settlement
leader. Wald retired in Westport Connecticut home, in 1937 on her 70th birthday
Governor Lehman and President Roosevelt honored her and Mayor LaGuardia granted
her the city’s distinguished service certificate.
Like everything in this world, Lillian Wald died at age 73 which was a long life in
those times September 1,1940 which is present day labor day. Her died of cerebral
hemorrhage. She was laid to rest in Rochester, New York. Lillian Wald legacy still lives
on today 75years later. And has a nursing student reading about her, you realized it only
takes one to make a difference.
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References
McKinney, E. (2013). Maternal-child nursing (Fourth ed.). St. Louis,
Missouri: Elsevier/Saunders.
Lewenson, S., Keith, K., Kelleher, C., & Polansky, E. (2001). Carrying on the
legacy of Lillian Wald: partnership with the Henry Street Settlement and the
Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University. Nursing Leadership Forum, 5(4),
116-121.
Feld, Majorie N “Lillian D.Wald.” Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical
Encyclopedia.20 March 2009. Jewish Women’s Archive. (Viewed on Sept. 18, 2014)
<http://jwa.org/enclopedia/article/wald-lillian-d>