Who is recognized as the first American trained nurse?

• A. Linda Richards
• B. Florence Nightingale
• C. Mary Mahoney
• D. Lavinia Dock

Answer: (A)

The key idea is who first gained formal nursing education in the United States. Linda Richards is recognized as the first American trained nurse because she completed a formal nursing program modeled after Florence Nightingale’s methods, training in London and then introducing those standards in the United States. Her diploma and role in promoting structured nursing education established the benchmark for professional nursing in the U.S. Florence Nightingale was British, not American. Mary Mahoney would become the first African American professionally trained nurse, and Lavinia Dock was a notable nurse and reformer, but neither held that distinction.