Mercy Hospital

Frances Tryon graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in 1944. Her husband, John Milan, graduated from the same program in 1940.
The Mercy Hospital facility opened in 1943. However, by the time this photograph was taken a few years later, Mercy was operating at 92% capacity. In 1951, Mercy expanded again, completing an eight-story wing.

The back of this photograph reads "Frances Tryon at south side door of old north wing Mercy Hospital. I am now Mrs. John Milan."

The capping ceremony was a rite of passage for nursing students, a ritual that symbolized dedication to the nursing profession. At Mercy Hospital, after six months of study and the successful completion of a preclinical training period, nurses were awarded their caps at a formal ceremony.

The students pictured in this photograph are, Beverly Dodge Bowens, Kathleen Flanagan McManus, Nancy Mason Gallagher, and Doris Carnigan Cyr.

Mercy Hospital staff often took their scheduled breaks on the rooftop of the hospital, providing a respite from the busy duties of the workday.

When the Queen's Hospital transitioned to Mercy Hospital, the new State street facility opened in 1943 with 36 bassinets, and was hailed as one of the most advanced of its kind in northern New England. Maternity services expanded, and in 1965 alone, Mercy delivered 1,200 newborns.

Mercy was a pioneer in offering private childbearing rooms. Later, at "The Birthplace at Mercy Fore River," the hospital implemented a practice known as LDRP, defined as labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum care all in the same room.

On January 6, 1920, the Training School for Nurses of the Queen's Hospital was opened. Since its inception, the school has educated over 2,300 nurses.

The Mercy Hospital School of Nursing graduated over 2000 nurses, all of whom received a high quality and comprehensive nursing education.

Starting with the class of 1933, graduates of the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing began a tradition of traveling to Little Diamond Island for an all-day outdoor adventure at the Catholic Sisters of Mercy's Sacred Heart Villa.

The students were often chaperoned by a few members of the faculty, leaving Portland early in the morning and returning in the evening. The student nurses played games, snacked, swam, took nature walks, and enjoyed a picnic.

The Queen's Hospital School of Nursing opened on January 6, 1920, just two years after the hospital began operations. It operated until 1987. During those years, the school educated over 2,300 nurses.

Capping exercises began with a processional, followed by the presentation of the caps. After students received their caps, they took the Florence Nightingale Pledge, received an address and benediction, and finished with a recessional. Parents often attended the ceremony.

Mercy Hospital staff often took scheduled breaks, or had small ice cream and tea parties on the rooftop of the hospital, providing a moment of respite from the busy day.

In this photograph, Sister Annunciata and several other sisters took tea and snacks. Sister Annunciata was the first Administrator of Queen’s Hospital from 1930 to 1967.

The Mercy Hospital School of Nursing graduated over 2,000 nurses from their program, which operated from 1922-1987.