North Carolina Nursing History

Edith Broadway was born December 4th, 1877 to Jessie and Betty Broadway in Swansboro, NC.  After attending school of nursing, she moved to Morehead City where she became the Superintendent of the first hospital on its opening day in 1912.  She and Dr. Royal (the physician who opened the hospital) worked literally 12-14 hours a day seven days a week in the first year.  They quickly opened a nursing school and nurse Broadway took on the supervisory responsibilities for that endeavor while remaining Superintendent of the hospital.  The nursing school remained open until the beginning of the Great Depression when it was no longer financially feasible to run.  A total of fourteen nurses graduated from the School of Nursing.  During the Depression Nurse Broadway (whose prior salary was $40 a month), and Dr. Royal worked for room and board at the hospital.  The waters around Morehead City were the site of fighting during WWII.  During the battle of the Atlantic, survivors from vessels sunk by German submarines were brought by boat to the Morehead City Hospital.  Most of these survivors were suffering from exposure, shock, burns, fractures, and shrapnel wounds.  Although the hospital was small, supplies were meager and the staff was small compared to the need, through the care of Dr. Royal, Nurse Broadway, and the staff, not one of these patients died.  Nurse Broadway worked with the Morehead City Hospital for 31 years.  She died on October 11th, 1952 and is buried in a local cemetery.