Mary Woody | |
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Born | Mary Florence Woody March 31, 1926 |
Died | April 28, 2010 | (aged 84)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Columbia University |
Occupation(s) | Nursing professor and administrator |
Mary Florence Woody (March 31, 1926 – April 28, 2010) was an American nurse, hospital administrator and university professor. She worked as a director of nursing at two large hospitals and was a nursing school dean or associate dean at Auburn University and Emory University. She was designated a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing. [1]
Mary Florence Woody was born to Hugh Ernest and May Lillie (Gilliland) Woody in LaFayette, Alabama, where she grew up on her family's farm. [2] Her father also owned a gristmill and a general store, where Woody often worked in her youth. [2] She had with five older siblings. [3]
Woody was inspired to pursue nursing by the violent events of World War II. [4] After graduating from high school, she completed Cadet Nurse Corps training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans in 1947. [5] [6]
Before pursuing higher degrees in nursing, Woody worked for as a staff nurse for five years in three different hospitals. [7] In 1948, she joined the staff at Wheeler Hospital in Lafayette, Alabama. Then, in 1949, she transferred to the acute polio unit at Willard Parker Hospital in New York City. [5] [7] One year later, she moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where she served as a nurse and supervisor at the VA Hospital until 1953. [5] [7]
Woody then moved back to New York where she earned a B.A. in nursing in 1954 from Columbia University and a master's degree in nursing service administration in 1955 from Teachers College, Columbia University. [5] [8]
After completing her master's degree, Woody worked for a year as a faculty member and field supervisor in the division of nursing at Teachers College, Columbia University. [7] She then returned to the South, where she served as the assistant director for medical and surgical nursing Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia between 1956 and 1968. [6] [7] During this time, Woody also worked as a co-instructor for the master's program in nursing supervision at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [7]
In 1968, Woody left Emory to accept the positions of assistant hospital director and director of nursing at Grady Memorial Hospital. [6] [9] She would continue to serve in these positions until 1979. [6] While working at Grady, Woody helped create a diabetes day care program, specialized nurse-managed clinics, and a patient education program. [6] [9] She also established clinical specialist positions in pediatrics, psychiatry, surgical rehabilitation, and burns. [10] Woody also recruited Elizabeth Sharp to found Grady's first nurse midwifery program. [6] Throughout her time at Grady, Woody retained her role as an assistant professor of nursing at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [7]
In 1979, she became the founding dean at the Auburn University School of Nursing. [6] Over the course of the five years she served in this position, Woody helped develop a practice oriented undergraduate nursing program. [11]
Woody returned to Emory University in 1984 to serve as both the director of nursing and the associate hospital director. [6] [7] During this period, she also served as the associate dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [6] During this period at Emory, Woody helped to established a collaborative model that allowed hospital nurses to teach students and nursing faculty to maintain a clinical practice. [2] [6] She also created several new positions for nurses in transplantation medicine and pain and incontinence management. [6] [2]
On September 15, 1992 Woody was named the interim dean of the nursing Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [8] She held this position for one year. [2] Woody retired from nursing on October 1, 1993, at the age of 67. [7]
Throughout her career, Woody advocated for the integration of professional associations in nursing. [5] She led the integration of the American Nurses Association. [12]
She also served on numerous committees over the years. [6] Most notably, she served as the chairperson and board of directors of the American Journal of Nursing Company. [8] She also served as a charter fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of the board of directors of Wesley Homes. [8] Woody also held numerous professional memberships including the American Academy of Nursing, National League for Nursing, the American Nurses' Association. [6] Woody published several articles and essays. [6] Her works were often featured in the American Journal of Nursing. [6] In 1973, Woody also a co-authored the book Applying the Problem-Oriented System with John Willis Hurst and Henry Kenneth Walker. [6]
Nursing students at Auburn University can be considered for the Mary F. Woody Alumni Endowed Scholarship. [13]
Woody died in 2010 of congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility in Decatur, Georgia. [5]
Mary Woody | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | Mary Florence Woody March 31, 1926 |
Died | April 28, 2010 | (aged 84)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Columbia University |
Occupation(s) | Nursing professor and administrator |
Mary Florence Woody (March 31, 1926 – April 28, 2010) was an American nurse, hospital administrator and university professor. She worked as a director of nursing at two large hospitals and was a nursing school dean or associate dean at Auburn University and Emory University. She was designated a Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing. [1]
Mary Florence Woody was born to Hugh Ernest and May Lillie (Gilliland) Woody in LaFayette, Alabama, where she grew up on her family's farm. [2] Her father also owned a gristmill and a general store, where Woody often worked in her youth. [2] She had with five older siblings. [3]
Woody was inspired to pursue nursing by the violent events of World War II. [4] After graduating from high school, she completed Cadet Nurse Corps training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans in 1947. [5] [6]
Before pursuing higher degrees in nursing, Woody worked for as a staff nurse for five years in three different hospitals. [7] In 1948, she joined the staff at Wheeler Hospital in Lafayette, Alabama. Then, in 1949, she transferred to the acute polio unit at Willard Parker Hospital in New York City. [5] [7] One year later, she moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where she served as a nurse and supervisor at the VA Hospital until 1953. [5] [7]
Woody then moved back to New York where she earned a B.A. in nursing in 1954 from Columbia University and a master's degree in nursing service administration in 1955 from Teachers College, Columbia University. [5] [8]
After completing her master's degree, Woody worked for a year as a faculty member and field supervisor in the division of nursing at Teachers College, Columbia University. [7] She then returned to the South, where she served as the assistant director for medical and surgical nursing Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia between 1956 and 1968. [6] [7] During this time, Woody also worked as a co-instructor for the master's program in nursing supervision at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [7]
In 1968, Woody left Emory to accept the positions of assistant hospital director and director of nursing at Grady Memorial Hospital. [6] [9] She would continue to serve in these positions until 1979. [6] While working at Grady, Woody helped create a diabetes day care program, specialized nurse-managed clinics, and a patient education program. [6] [9] She also established clinical specialist positions in pediatrics, psychiatry, surgical rehabilitation, and burns. [10] Woody also recruited Elizabeth Sharp to found Grady's first nurse midwifery program. [6] Throughout her time at Grady, Woody retained her role as an assistant professor of nursing at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [7]
In 1979, she became the founding dean at the Auburn University School of Nursing. [6] Over the course of the five years she served in this position, Woody helped develop a practice oriented undergraduate nursing program. [11]
Woody returned to Emory University in 1984 to serve as both the director of nursing and the associate hospital director. [6] [7] During this period, she also served as the associate dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [6] During this period at Emory, Woody helped to established a collaborative model that allowed hospital nurses to teach students and nursing faculty to maintain a clinical practice. [2] [6] She also created several new positions for nurses in transplantation medicine and pain and incontinence management. [6] [2]
On September 15, 1992 Woody was named the interim dean of the nursing Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. [8] She held this position for one year. [2] Woody retired from nursing on October 1, 1993, at the age of 67. [7]
Throughout her career, Woody advocated for the integration of professional associations in nursing. [5] She led the integration of the American Nurses Association. [12]
She also served on numerous committees over the years. [6] Most notably, she served as the chairperson and board of directors of the American Journal of Nursing Company. [8] She also served as a charter fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of the board of directors of Wesley Homes. [8] Woody also held numerous professional memberships including the American Academy of Nursing, National League for Nursing, the American Nurses' Association. [6] Woody published several articles and essays. [6] Her works were often featured in the American Journal of Nursing. [6] In 1973, Woody also a co-authored the book Applying the Problem-Oriented System with John Willis Hurst and Henry Kenneth Walker. [6]
Nursing students at Auburn University can be considered for the Mary F. Woody Alumni Endowed Scholarship. [13]
Woody died in 2010 of congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility in Decatur, Georgia. [5]