Mary Southcott

Mary Meager Southcott (1862–1943) was a Newfoundland-born nurse, hospital administrator and campaigner.

Mary Southcott
Born1862
Newfoundland
Died1943
OccupationNurse
EmployerSt John's General Hospital

She went to London, England to study nursing between 1899 and 1901, then returned to Newfoundland and was soon appointed Superintendent of Nursing at the St John's General Hospital, where she founded the St. John's General Hospital School of Nursing in 1903.[1] She was interested in raising educational standards for nurses and, more generally, in the professionalisation of nursing. Her ideas about nursing brought her into conflict with the hospital administration. She resigned in 1916 and was replaced by Myra Taylor.

Southcott remained committed to nursing. As well as setting up her own private hospital she helped to develop midwifery provision and served on the Newfoundland Midwifery Board as well as serving as President of the Child Welfare Association.[2] She set up a Nurses' Register and founded the Graduate Nurses’ Association of Newfoundland.[3]

She was also involved in various campaigns and organisations: in particular as president of the Child Welfare Association, and as an advocate of women's suffrage.[4] She has been named a "person of national historic significance" by the Canadian government.[5]

References
  1. "Mary Meager Southcott (1862-1943)". Parks Canada. Parks Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. Duley, Margot (2014). Creating This Place: Women, Family and Class in St John's, 1900-1950. Montreal: MQUP. p. 137. ISBN 9780773543102.
  3. "Mary Meager Southcott (1862-1943)". Parks Canada. Parks Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  4. "Southcott, Mary :: Finding Aids of the Archives and Special Collections". collections.mun.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  5. "THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA COMMEMORATES MARY MEAGER SOUTHCOTT (1862-1943) AS A PERSON OF NATIONAL HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE". Parks Canada. Parks Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2016.


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