The Nurses of Ellis Island
Life and Work inside the Golden Door
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
The Nurses of Ellis Island: Life and Work inside the Golden Door tells the story of the nurses who offered hope and healing to some of America’s most vulnerable patients. In the once-modern hospital complex on the southwest side of Ellis Island, a small group of nurses from the U.S. Public Health Service expertly cared for more than 150,000 patients of all ages and backgrounds, suffering from every imaginable illness and injury. These nurses, who lived and worked in the hospital built between the Main Immigration Building and the Statue of Liberty, learned to embrace their roles as both compassionate caregivers and agents of the state, all while navigating the impact of major sociopolitical events that included two world wars, a global pandemic, and increasingly restrictive immigration legislation. Drawing from government records, archival sources, and newly uncovered memoirs from the nurses themselves, award-winning authors and accomplished nurse historians Michelle Hehman and Arlene Keeling reconstruct the lived experience of nursing on Ellis Island during the first half of the twentieth century. This tale of nursing at its finest is a stunning narrative of triumph and tragedy that brings to life the largely invisible yet indispensable work of nursing at the intersection of immigration and public health policy.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1. Nurses on Ellis Island in the Early Years, 1892–1901
- Chapter 2. Caring for the Huddled Masses, 1902–1911
- Chapter 3. Nursing in the Contagious Disease Hospital, 1911–1917
- Chapter 4. Nurses on Ellis Island during World War I, 1917–1919
- Chapter 5. Changing Rules and Changing Roles, 1920–1939
- Chapter 6. World War II and the End of a Nursing Presence on Ellis Island, 1941–1954
- Conclusion
- Notes
- Index
- About the Authors