On this look back through the history of nurse anesthesia, we’ll tell you the story of Catherine Lawrence. This Civil War nurse became the first to administer anesthesia during the Second Battle of Bull Run but she also accomplished a lot more during her life. Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA, will give us all the details and help us learn more about this important figure in nursing.
Check out the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
On This Episode:
When you think back on the history of nurse anesthesia, you have to travel back to the 19th century to find the person that first administered it.
Her name was Catherine Lawrence and we want to make her name more commonplace within our organization. She’s best known as the first nurse to administer anesthesia during the Second Battle of Bull Run in the American Civil War. Not only was she a nurse, she was also a teacher, missionary, and temperance lecturer.
To help us tell her story, we’ve invited our show historians, Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA, and Sandy Ouellette, CRNA
As you get started on the episode, keep an ear out for these topics:
- Her upbringing as the youngest of seven children and how she often got into trouble as a child.
- The story of how she lost faith early in life.
- The different work she did in her teens, including becoming a teacher at age 14.
- How anesthesia was introduced to the Civil War
- The resignation letter she gave to Dorothea Dix
- What happened in the Battle of Bull Run
- Following the Civil War, she helped raised orphans.
- Her death and where she was laid to rest.
- How Nancy and Sandy would summarize her life.
Check it out the interview at the top of the page and use the timestamps to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
[5:51] – Back in the studio with Sandy and Nancy
[7:24] – Introducing Catherine Lawrence
[10:09] – As a child
[13:00] – How she lost faith as a child
[14:38] – Began teach at 14
[18:11] – Enlisting in the Civil War
[23:19] – Her relationship with Dorothea Dix
[26:25] – After the Civil War
[32:09] – Summarizing her life
[35:26] – Her death
[36:25] – Final thoughts
To learn more about the Emma Kate fundraiser event: https://halosofthestcroixvalley.com/
“(From a very early age, Catherine Lawrence really devoted her life to the relief of suffering of others.”
-Nancy Bruton-Maree, CRNA
