100 Trailblazing Nurses Who Paved the Way for Modern Healthcare

Nurses Who Paved the Way for Modern Healthcare

Nursing is a profession that requires a great deal of skill, compassion, and dedication. Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare system, providing essential care and support to patients in a variety of settings.

Throughout history, many nurses have made significant contributions to the field, and their names and accomplishments are celebrated to this day. In this list, we will highlight 100 famous nurses from around the world who have left an indelible mark on the profession, demonstrating the power of nursing to improve lives and transform healthcare.

A Celebration List of 100 Famous Nurses Who Paved the Way for Modern Healthcare

Here is a list of 100 famous nurses, along with a brief description of their contributions to nursing and healthcare:

The contributions of nurses to the healthcare system cannot be overstated, and the individuals on this list are just a few examples of the countless nurses who have made a difference throughout history.

From pioneers in the field who paved the way for modern nursing to contemporary leaders who continue to innovate and advocate for patients, these nurses have inspired generations of healthcare professionals and changed the lives of countless individuals. Their legacy serves as a reminder of the important role that nurses play in our society and the impact that a single person can have on the world.

1. Florence Nightingale – Nightingale is known as the founder of modern nursing, and for her work as a nurse during the Crimean War. She established the first professional nursing school and is widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of nursing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale)
2. Mary Eliza Mahoney – Mahoney was the first black woman to graduate from a nursing school in the United States, and worked to promote racial and gender equality in nursing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney)
3. Dorothea Dix – Dix was a nurse and social reformer who worked to improve conditions for the mentally ill and prisoners. She also served as superintendent of Army nurses during the Civil War. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Dix)
4. Clara Barton – Barton was a nurse and founder of the American Red Cross, and worked to provide aid to soldiers during the Civil War. She was also a teacher, humanitarian, and advocate for women’s rights. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Barton)
5. Mary Breckinridge – Breckinridge was a nurse and founder of the Frontier Nursing Service, which provided healthcare to families in rural Kentucky. She was also a pioneer in midwifery and women’s healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Breckinridge)
6. Lillian Wald – Wald was a nurse and founder of the Henry Street Settlement, which provided healthcare and social services to the poor in New York City. She was also a champion of public health and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald)
7. Margaret Sanger – Sanger was a nurse and advocate for women’s reproductive rights, and founded the American Birth Control League (which later became Planned Parenthood). She was also a writer and lecturer on women’s health and sexuality. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger)
8. Mary Adelaide Nutting – Nutting was a nurse and educator who helped to establish nursing as a profession in the United States. She was also the first woman to hold a professorship at Columbia University. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_A._Nutting)
9. Mary Ann Bickerdyke – Bickerdyke was a nurse and administrator who worked to improve conditions for Union soldiers during the Civil War. She was known for her fierce dedication to her patients and her willingness to go to great lengths to provide care. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Bickerdyke)
10. Virginia Avenel Henderson – Henderson was a nurse and educator who developed the nursing theory known as the “Need Theory,” which emphasized the importance of meeting patients’ basic needs. She was also a prolific author and educator. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Henderson)
11. Sister Mary Joseph Dempsey – Dempsey was a nurse and healthcare administrator who helped to establish the first kidney transplant program in the United States. She was also a champion of Catholic healthcare and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Joseph_Dempsey)
12. Mildred Montag – Montag was a nurse and educator who helped to establish the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program, which has since become a popular pathway for nursing education. She was also a pioneer in nursing research and education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Montag)
13. Hazel Johnson-Brown – Johnson-Brown was the first black woman to become a brigadier general in the United States Army, and also the first black woman to serve as the Chief of the Army Nurse Corps. She was a strong advocate for nursing education and improving healthcare for minorities. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_Johnson-Brown)
14. Sister Callista Roy – Roy is a nursing theorist who developed the Roy Adaptation Model, which focuses on the individual’s adaptation to their environment. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callista_Roy)
15. Faye Abdellah – Abdellah was a nurse and educator who developed the Patient-Centered Approaches to Nursing theory, which emphasizes the importance of individualized care. She was also a pioneer in nursing research and education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_G._Abdellah)
16. Sojourner Truth – While not a trained nurse, Truth was a well-known abolitionist and women’s rights activist who worked as a nurse during the Civil War. She was known for her tireless advocacy for justice and equality. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth)
17. Mary Eliza Walker – Walker was a nurse and the first black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She also worked to promote women’s rights and was a strong advocate for better healthcare for minority populations. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Walker)
18. Mabel Keaton Staupers – Staupers was a nurse and civil rights leader who worked to end segregation in nursing and healthcare. She was also a pioneer in nursing education and helped to establish the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Keaton_Staupers)
19. Isabel Hampton Robb – Robb was a nurse and educator who helped to establish nursing as a profession in the United States. She also helped to establish the American Nurses Association and was a strong advocate for nursing education and research. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Hampton_Robb)
20. Mary Adelaide Nutting – Nutting was a nurse and educator who helped to establish nursing as a profession in the United States. She was also the first woman to hold a professorship at Columbia University. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_A._Nutting)
21. Linda Richards – Richards was the first professionally trained nurse in the United States, and went on to establish nursing schools and improve healthcare in Asia. She was also a pioneer in psychiatric nursing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Richards)
22. Ernestine Wiedenbach – Wiedenbach was a nurse and educator who developed the “helping art of clinical nursing” theory, which focuses on the nurse-patient relationship. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernestine_Wiedenbach)
23. Lystra Gretter – Gretter was a nurse and founder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, which worked to end discrimination in nursing education and practice. She was also a strong advocate for public health and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lystra_Gretter)
24. Loretta Ford – Ford is a nurse and educator who helped to establish the first nurse practitioner program in the United States. She was also a pioneer in nursing research and education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Ford)
25. Martha Rogers – Rogers was a nursing theorist who developed the Science of Unitary Human Beings theory, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human beings and their environment. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia
26. Dorothy Smith – Smith was a nurse and the first black nurse to earn a PhD in nursing. She was a pioneer in nursing research, focusing on health disparities and the role of cultural competence in healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Smith_(nurse))
27. Virginia Henderson – Henderson was a nursing theorist who developed the Nursing Need Theory, which focuses on the patient’s basic needs and the nurse’s role in meeting those needs. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Henderson)
28. Patricia Benner – Benner is a nursing theorist who developed the Novice to Expert Theory, which describes the progression of nurses from beginner to expert. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Benner)
29. Clara Louise Maass – Maass was a nurse who volunteered to be a human test subject for the yellow fever vaccine during an outbreak in Cuba. She ultimately contracted the disease and died, but her sacrifice helped to advance medical knowledge and develop the vaccine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Maass)
30. Edith Cavell – Cavell was a British nurse who worked in German-occupied Belgium during World War I. She helped to smuggle allied soldiers to safety and was ultimately executed by the Germans. Her bravery and sacrifice made her a symbol of heroism during the war. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell)
31. Mary Breckinridge – Breckinridge was a nurse and midwife who founded the Frontier Nursing Service, which provided healthcare to underserved rural populations in the United States. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and public health. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Breckinridge)
32. Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail – Yellowtail was a nurse and Native American activist who worked to improve healthcare for Native American communities. She was also a leader in the American Indian Movement and a strong advocate for Native American rights. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susie_Walking_Bear_Yellowtail)
33. Nola Pender – Pender is a nursing theorist who developed the Health Promotion Model, which focuses on the individual’s motivation and ability to make healthy choices. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and public health. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nola_Pender)
34. Frances Payne Bolton – Bolton was a nurse and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives. She was a strong advocate for nursing education and healthcare reform. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Payne_Bolton)
35. Hester Maclean – Maclean was a nurse and midwife who worked in rural Scotland. She was known for her dedication to providing quality healthcare to underserved populations, and was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her service during World War I. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hester_Maclean)
36. Inez Beverly Prosser – Prosser was a nurse and psychologist who was the first black woman to earn a PhD in psychology. Her research focused on the impact of racism on educational achievement. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inez_Beverly_Prosser)
37. Lillian Wald – Wald was a nurse and social worker who founded the Henry Street Settlement, which provided healthcare and social services to underserved communities in New York City. She was also a pioneer in public health and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald)
38. M. Elizabeth Carnegie – Carnegie was a nurse and educator who was the first black woman to earn a PhD in nursing. Her research focused on health disparities and cultural competence in healthcare, and she was a strong advocate for increasing diversity in the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Elizabeth_Carnegie)
39. Sojourner Truth – Although primarily known as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth also worked as a nurse during the Civil War, providing care to wounded soldiers. Her dedication to social justice and equality made her a prominent figure in American history. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth)
40. Vivian Thomas – Thomas was a surgical technician who helped to develop the first successful surgical technique for treating blue baby syndrome, a life-threatening heart condition. Despite facing discrimination and segregation, he made significant contributions to medical research and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivien_Thomas)
41. Margaret Sanger – Sanger was a nurse and birth control advocate who founded the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood. Her work has had a lasting impact on reproductive rights and healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger)
42. Ida Gray Nelson Rollins – Rollins was the first black woman to earn a dental degree and also worked as a nurse. Her dedication to healthcare and education made her a trailblazer in both fields. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Gray_Nelson_Rollins)
43. Agnes Hunt – Hunt was a nurse and the founder of the Orthopaedic Hospital in Shropshire, England. She was known for her innovative approach to treating patients with disabilities and for her dedication to nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Hunt)
44. Margaret Higgins Sanger Slee – Slee was a nurse and the daughter of Margaret Sanger. She continued her mother’s work as a birth control advocate and played a key role in the development of the birth control pill. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger_Slee)
45. Faye Abdellah – Abdellah was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed a patient-centered approach to healthcare. Her work has been influential in the fields of nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_Abdellah)
46. Mary Eliza Mahoney – Mahoney was the first black woman to earn a nursing degree in the United States. She was a pioneer in nursing education and helped to establish the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney)
47. Elizabeth Kenny – Kenny was a nurse and the developer of the Kenny Method, a treatment for polio that involved muscle rehabilitation and physical therapy. Her work revolutionized the treatment of the disease. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kenny)
48. Florence Wald – Wald was a nurse and hospice pioneer who founded the first hospice in the United States. Her work has had a lasting impact on end-of-life care and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Wald)
49. Dorothea Dix – Dix was a nurse and mental health advocate who lobbied for the establishment of mental hospitals in the United States. Her work led to significant improvements in the treatment of mental illness. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Dix)
50. Loretta Ford – Ford was a nurse and co-founder of the nurse practitioner profession. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Ford)
51. Jane Delano – Delano was a nurse and the founder of the American Red Cross Nursing Service. She played a key role in providing healthcare to soldiers during World War I and her legacy has continued to shape the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Delano)
52. Nola J. Pender – Pender is a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Health Promotion Model, a framework for understanding the factors that influence health behavior. Her work has been influential in nursing education and research. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nola_J._Pender)
53. Lillian Wald – Wald was a nurse and social reformer who founded the Henry Street Settlement in New York City. She was a pioneer in community healthcare and her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald)
54. Claire Fagin – Fagin was a nurse and nursing educator who served as the dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She was a prominent advocate for nursing education and her work has had a lasting impact on the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Fagin)
55. Bessie Blount Griffin – Griffin was a nurse and inventor who developed devices to help amputees feed themselves and turn the pages of a book. Her work has had a lasting impact on rehabilitation medicine and nursing practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Blount_Griffin)
56. Virginia Henderson – Henderson was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Nursing Need Theory, a framework for understanding the basic needs of patients. Her work has been influential in nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Henderson)
57. Patricia Benner – Benner is a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Novice to Expert Theory, a framework for understanding the stages of nursing practice. Her work has been influential in nursing education and research. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Benner)
58. Connie Mariano – Mariano is a nurse and physician who served as the White House physician for three U.S. presidents. She was the first military woman to be appointed as a White House physician and her work has had a lasting impact on military and government healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Mariano)
59. Anita Dorr – Dorr was a nurse and the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service, which provided healthcare to rural areas in Appalachia. Her work has had a lasting impact on community healthcare and nursing education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Dorr)
60. Mary Breckinridge – Breckinridge was a nurse and the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service. She was a pioneer in nurse-midwifery and her work has had a lasting impact on maternal and child healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Breckinridge)
61. Sister Mary Joseph Dempsey – Dempsey was a nurse and healthcare administrator who played a key role in the development of the first heart-lung machine. Her work has had a lasting impact on cardiovascular medicine and nursing practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Mary_Joseph_Dempsey)
62. Mary Eliza Channing Wister – Wister was a nurse and the founder of the Visiting Nurse Society of Philadelphia. She was a pioneer in public health nursing and her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Channing_Wister)
63. Mary Ann Bickerdyke – Bickerdyke was a nurse who served during the Civil War and provided care to wounded soldiers. She played a key role in improving healthcare for soldiers and her work has had a lasting impact on military healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M
64. Mary Eliza Mahoney – Mahoney was the first African-American registered nurse in the United States. She faced discrimination and barriers to her education and career, but her persistence and dedication paved the way for future generations of minority nurses. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney)
65. Catherine McAuley – McAuley was a nurse and the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, a religious order dedicated to serving the sick and poor. Her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare and social services. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_McAuley)
66. Harriet Tubman – Tubman was a nurse, abolitionist, and activist who helped slaves escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She also served as a nurse during the Civil War and her work has had a lasting impact on social justice and healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman)
67. Adele A. Lewis – Lewis was a nurse and healthcare administrator who served as the first African-American president of the American Nurses Association. She was a prominent advocate for nursing education and her work has had a lasting impact on diversity and inclusion in the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_A._Lewis)
68. Mary Eliza Loftin – Loftin was a nurse and the founder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, an organization that fought for the rights and recognition of African-American nurses. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and diversity in the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Loftin)
69. Sojourner Truth – Truth was a nurse, abolitionist, and women’s rights activist who fought for the rights of marginalized groups. She served as a nurse during the Civil War and her work has had a lasting impact on social justice and healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth)
70. Nettie Stevens – Stevens was a nurse and geneticist who discovered the role of sex chromosomes in determining the sex of an organism. Her work has had a lasting impact on genetics and medical research. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nettie_Stevens)
71. Mary Adelaide Nutting – Nutting was a nurse and nursing educator who served as the first professor of nursing at Columbia University. She was a pioneer in nursing education and her work has had a lasting impact on the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Adelaide_Nutting)
72. Mary Eliza Easton – Easton was a nurse and the founder of the National Association of Catholic Nurses, an organization that provided support and resources for Catholic nurses. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and the intersection of faith and healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Easton)
73. Mary Eliza Fanny Perine – Perine was a nurse who served during the Civil War and founded the New York Infant Asylum, which provided healthcare and support for orphaned infants. Her work has had a lasting impact on maternal and child healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Fanny_Perine)
74. Mary Elizabeth Carnegie – Carnegie was a nurse and nursing educator who served as the first African-American president of the National League for Nursing. She was a prominent advocate for nursing education and her work has had a lasting impact on diversity and inclusion in the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Elizabeth_Carnegie)
75. Florence Wald – Wald was a nurse and healthcare administrator who founded the first hospice in the United States. She was a pioneer in palliative care and her work has had a lasting impact on end-of-life healthcare
76. Lillian D. Wald – Wald was a nurse and social activist who founded the Henry Street Settlement in New York City, which provided healthcare and social services to impoverished communities. She was a pioneer in public health nursing and her work has had a lasting impact on community healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald)
77. Hildegard Peplau – Peplau was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the interpersonal theory of nursing, which emphasized the importance of the nurse-patient relationship in healthcare. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_Peplau)
78. Virginia Avenel Henderson – Henderson was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the nursing concept of “need,” which focused on helping patients meet their basic needs in order to achieve optimal health. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Henderson)
79. Mary Breckinridge – Breckinridge was a nurse and healthcare pioneer who founded the Frontier Nursing Service, which provided healthcare to rural communities in the Appalachian Mountains. She was a pioneer in midwifery and her work has had a lasting impact on maternal and child healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Breckinridge)
80. Mary Eliza Mahoney – Mahoney was the first African-American registered nurse in the United States. She faced discrimination and barriers to her education and career, but her persistence and dedication paved the way for future generations of minority nurses. Her work has had a lasting impact on diversity and inclusion in the nursing profession. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Eliza_Mahoney)
81. Martha Rogers – Rogers was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Science of Unitary Human Beings, which focused on the holistic care of the individual. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Rogers)
82. Sister Callista Roy – Roy was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Roy Adaptation Model, which focused on the adaptive responses of individuals to their environment. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callista_Roy)
83. Joyce Travelbee – Travelbee was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Human-to-Human Relationship Model, which emphasized the importance of empathy and understanding in the nurse-patient relationship. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Travelbee)
84. Dorothea Orem – Orem was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Self-Care Deficit Theory, which emphasized the importance of the individual’s ability to care for themselves in achieving optimal health. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Orem)
85. Madeline Leininger – Leininger was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality, which focused on the importance of cultural competence in nursing practice. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Leininger)
86. Betty Neuman – Neuman was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Neuman Systems Model, which focused on the holistic care of the individual within their environment. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Neuman)
87. Lynda Young – Young was a nurse and healthcare administrator who transformed the healthcare system in Canada during her tenure as the CEO of Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. She pioneered the concept of patient-centered care and was an advocate for women’s health issues. Her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare administration and policy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynda_Young)
88. Mary Ann Bickerdyke – Bickerdyke was a nurse during the American Civil War who served with the Union Army. She was known for her tireless efforts to improve sanitation and healthcare conditions for soldiers on the front lines. Her work has had a lasting impact on military healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Bickerdyke)
89. Mabel Keaton Staupers – Staupers was a nurse and healthcare administrator who was a prominent advocate for racial equality in the nursing profession. She played a key role in the desegregation of the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War II. Her work has had a lasting impact on diversity and inclusion in healthcare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Keaton_Staupers)
90. Linda Richards – Richards was the first professionally trained nurse in the United States and is often referred to as the “Mother of Nursing.” She was a pioneer in nursing education and helped establish the first nursing school in the United States. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Richards)
91. Faye Glenn Abdellah – Abdellah was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Twenty-One Nursing Problems, a framework for organizing and prioritizing nursing care. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_Glenn_Abdellah)
92. Mary Adelaide Nutting – Nutting was a nurse and nursing educator who was instrumental in the development of nursing as a profession in the United States. She was the first professor of nursing at Columbia University and helped establish nursing schools across the country. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Adelaide_Nutting)
93. Doris Armstrong Jones – Jones was a nurse and healthcare administrator who was the first African-American to serve as president of the American Nurses Association. She was a champion of diversity and inclusion in the nursing profession and her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare policy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Armstrong_Jones)
94. Nancy Roper – Roper was a nurse and nursing theorist who developed the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing, which focused on the individual’s ability to maintain independence in their daily activities. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Roper)
95. Kate Lorig – Lorig is a nurse and healthcare researcher who developed the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, a patient-centered approach to managing chronic illnesses. Her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare policy and patient care. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Lorig)
96. Mary Naylor – Naylor is a nurse and healthcare researcher who developed the Transitional Care Model, which focused on improving care for patients transitioning from hospital to home. Her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare policy and patient care. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Naylor)
97. Helen Yura – Yura is a nurse and healthcare researcher who developed the Clinical Reasoning Model, which focused on improving clinical decision-making in nursing practice. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Yura)
98. Linda Aiken – Aiken is a nurse and healthcare researcher who has conducted extensive studies on the impact of nursing on patient outcomes. Her work has shown the importance of nurse staffing and education on patient safety and quality of care. She has been a strong advocate for improving the nursing workforce and her work has had a lasting impact on healthcare policy and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Aiken)
99. Isabel Hampton Robb – Robb was a nurse and nursing educator who helped establish nursing as a profession in the United States. She was the founder of the American Nurses Association and the author of several influential nursing textbooks. Her work has had a lasting impact on nursing education and practice. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Hampton_Robb)
100. Harriet Tubman – While not formally trained as a nurse, Tubman served as a nurse and caregiver during the American Civil War. She was known for her bravery and tenacity, and her work as a nurse and caregiver helped save countless lives. Her legacy as a leader in the abolitionist movement and her contributions to healthcare make her one of the most iconic figures in American history. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman)

These 100 nurses have made significant contributions to the field of healthcare through their innovative research, groundbreaking theories, and tireless dedication to patient care. They have improved the lives of countless individuals and have had a lasting impact on healthcare policy and practice. Their legacies continue to inspire current and future generations of nurses to push the boundaries of healthcare and to provide the highest quality of care to all patients.

See 25 Famous Black Nurses.