Edna Rae Newitt - Nurse's License Application in Washington

My last post talked about Berenice Newitt and her becoming a Nurse. This post will look at her sister, Edna Rae Newitt, and her following her sister's path as a Nurse. Edna graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1927. Following her graduation from High School, Edna attended The Training School for Nurses at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. This was a three-year program, and Edna graduated in 1930. The Daily Sentinel from May 29, 1930 reported on the graduation services:

'Impressive Exercises for St. Mary’s Graduates. A large crowd hears the impressive graduation exercises last night at St. Joseph’s hall when four nurses receive their diplomas from St. Mary’s hospital. They are: Miss Iris Schwartz; Miss Helen Mary Paul; Miss Alice Cuddy; Miss Edna Newitt. Dr. V.T. DeWar presided at the program which was marked by some very interesting talks. Dr. E.H. Peterson gave a resume of the advance of medicine to its present state of development. He said, “Through study many discoveries have been made, and it is for those who have studied to administer aid to the public rather than the mass of people who have only a meager general knowledge of medicine.” “It was once thought,” he went on to say, “that all that was necessary to cure human ailments was to go to the store and buy sera for whatever might be the sickness, but it was found that an experienced mind was needed, and that experienced mind was a doctor or a nurse.” He complemented St. Mary’s hospital on their staff and the condition of the hospital, which ranks in class A, and equal to any hospital in a city much larger than Grand Junction.'

'Miss Elizabeth Sullivan sang a very beautiful song, “Coming Home” by Charles Willoughby. She was accompanied by Mrs. Agnes Barton at the piano. Dean Marsh, who has always inspired his audiences, gave a very inspiring talk on nursing as an honorable profession. “Nursing” he said, “is to heal and cure, and care for the fellow man.” He went on to illustrate how much bearing education had on the profession of nursing. He went on to say, “No occupation, unless guided by the mind can be a success. But the mind must be trained for leisure as well as work.” He paid the hospital a very high tribute, complimented the doctors, the nurses, and the staff. And in closing he spoke to the graduates, saying that, “Do not let one discouraging moment spoil your career, in every line of business there are dark moments, the times when you feel you can’t go on, but to shoulder your cares you must keep your head upright, drown your sorrows, and start anew.”'

'Jack McDonald, who won first place in Montrose in dramatics, gave his reading “He” by Eugene O’Neil. His interpretation of this well known one act play held the audience spell bound. The Rev. Bertrand gave a beautiful talk on the moral side of the graduation exercises of 1930. He said, “The greatest feature of God is man, the greatest gift of God to man is life.” He went on to say, “there are two ideals in nursing, the first is to lessen human suffering and the second to save human life.” “Nursing” he thought, “was as old as sickness, circumstances may change but the responsibility for a nurse goes on indefinitely.” He closed with the words, “Give your services, do your best in the profession you have chosen for your life, be willing to sacrifice and may God guide you to success.”  The Rev. Bertrand then presented the diplomas to the nurses who stood and gave the Florence Nightingale pledge.'

'The stage was very beautifully decorated with large baskets of roses. With the four graduates were 12 student nurses. Each nurse who was graduated last night carried a bouquet of roses, and had their colors of purple and gold on their uniforms. After the exercises dancing was enjoyed.'

Following graduation, she passed the Colorado State Nurses' Examination with an overall score of 81%, and was granted a license to practice as a Nurse in the State of Colorado. In November of 1930, Edna was elected as the Secretary of a Nurses Organization in western Colorado. The Daily Sentinel from November 9, 1930 reported: 'The three purposes of the group work are to establish and maintain an ethical standard among nurses, to support and defend the law relative to nurses and to promote the education and social standing of the nursing profession in the state.' Edna participated in this organization, as well as worked as a Nurse, until she moved with her parents to Tacoma, Washington, in late 1931.

On December 2, 1931 Edna submitted her application for a license to practice as a Nurse in Washington. On the application form, she gave her education and experience as a Nurse, as well as requesting reciprocity, which means that the State of Washington would grant her a license to practice as a Nurse in Washington based on her License to practice as a Nurse in Colorado. Her application was approved, and Edna was licensed to practice as a Nurse in the State of Washington.

Ancestry just published the following record series: Washington, U.S., State Employment Records: 1874-2014, which is where I found Edna's application for Licensure as a Nurse in Washington. The link to Edna's application is found here:

Link to Edna Newitt's Application to Practice as a Nurse in Washington

Edna's application includes a photo of Edna, which is only the third photo of Edna that I have found. Finding a photo in genealogy research is always a gem of a find. The first photo of Edna that I have I inherited after my grandpa passed away, and it is a photo of her in her nurses uniform. The photo from Edna's application also shows her in her nurses uniform, and both photos may have been taken at the same time. Here are both photos for comparison.