Merit Health Wesley Nurses Celebrate Nursing History
2/28/2017
In March of 1900, a small medical facility opened in Hattiesburg as the first hospital in South Mississippi. The Ross Sanitarium was established under the leadership of Dr. T. E. Ross with a dedication to providing the best of medical service and personal Christian care to the growing community. After more than a century of caring for the residents of the Pine Belt, that small medical facility has evolved into the 211-bed acute care hospital known as Merit Health Wesley.
During last year’s National Nurses Week, hospital nursing leaders paid homage to the century-long history of the hospital and to the history of the nursing profession. In addition to displaying hospital memorabilia, including photos and awards from years past, nursing staff was encouraged wear white uniforms, in recognition of the traditional nursing uniform worn when the hospital opened. That same week, Merit Health Wesley launched “Throwback Thursdays.” Every Thursday since May nurses have been encouraged to wear these traditional white uniforms.
“We’ve had great success with the program,” said Phebe McKay, Chief Nursing Officer. “The all-white uniform helps patients and their families quickly identify their lead caretaker. Our nurses have also enjoyed it because it gives those who never had the chance to wear white uniforms experience a little piece of nursing history.”
In the 1900s, a nurse uniform consisted of a white dress, pinafore apron and nurse's cap. The long dress was to protect them from infection, the apron for the same reason and some type of hat to identify them as a nurse.
“Wearing white uniforms sets our nursing staff apart from the myriad of other health care professionals in the hospital,” said McKay. “We’ve had such a positive response from patients, we’re expanding Throwback Thursdays to other days of the week.”
Merit Health Wesley is a dynamic entity, continually changing and growing in size, service and scope to meet the needs of South Mississippi. Using the traditional white uniforms as a new way to identify nurses is one way to celebrate history while continuing to find ways to improve today’s patient experience.
Photo Caption: Nurses in white uniforms pose in front of the Ross Sanatorium in 1900, the first hospital in South Mississippi which has now grown into Merit Health Wesley.
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Photo Caption: Merit Health Wesley Nursing Administrators wear white during “Throwback Thursdays” to help patients easily identify nurses and honor nursing history.
Photo Caption: Chief Nursing Officer, Phebe McKay, poses in a nursing uniform as worn by nurses in 1952.
About Merit Health Wesley
As an affiliate of the state’s largest healthcare system, Merit Health Wesley is committed to providing superior care across the Pine Belt. Recognized for patient safety and for top performance on key quality measures, Merit Health Wesley is also the area’s first and only accredited Chest Pain Center and only area hospital to be accredited for Heart Failure care. For more information about Merit Health Wesley, call (601) 268-8000.
About Merit Health
Merit Health serves the healthcare needs of residents of Mississippi through its 12 affiliated hospitals and 120 physician practices. The healthcare system offers a wide array of services including orthopedics, cardiology, women’s health, emergency departments and broad diagnostic medical and surgical services. The network has approximately 2,300 licensed beds, 2,500 physicians on the combined active medical staffs, and 7,000 employees, and more than 53,000 admissions and 300,000 emergency department visits each year. Merit Health Batesville is owned, in part, by physicians. Learn more at mymerithealth.com.
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