Mildred Lawrence Bradshaw
1902-1989
St. Vincent DePaul Hospital School of Nursing
Norfolk, Virginia, RN 1937
- Founded the Norfolk City Schools and Leigh Memorial Hospital School of Practical Nursing
- Twice President of the Graduate Nurses Association of Virginia (now the Virginia Nurses Association
- President of the National Association for Pratical Nurse Education
- Published Practical Nurses Digest, the first national publication for LPNs
Mildred Lawrence Bradshaw was first and foremost a leader. From her local, state, national, and international professional activities to her role as educator and administrator, Bradshaw exhibited her considerable leadership skills and left her mark on professional nursing in Virginia. Her concern about the quality and quantity of nursing care available in post World War II Virginia, led her to take steps to develop schools of practical nursing in the Commonwealth. Bradshaw was a role model for many and a mentor to a number of nurses who went on to become leaders themselves. Bradshaw inspired associates and students to give their best to any assignment in such a way that she was rarely disappointed with the outcomes.
"In the forty-five years of my nursing career, I found Mildred Bradshaw to be the most dynamic leader I encountered--she inspired and guided me. I witnessed her exemplary leadership and her ability to envision and implement pioneering programs. In particular, I was impressed by her proficiency in resolving problems with equanimity and skill and her compassion and wisdom in dealing with patients, students, and colleagues."
Jean L. Miller, RN
Bradshaw Hall of Fame Nomination, 2005
