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Date 3-28-06
Contact Chinika Hood 601.266.5568
Hattiesburg—The
founding dean of the University of Southern Mississippi’s School
of Nursing, the late Dr. Elizabeth C. Harkins, was recently named
to the Mississippi Nurses Association (MNA) Hall of Fame at the
2006 Mississippi Nightingale Awards held in Jackson.
Southern Miss
School of Nursing professor Dr. Karen Saucier Lundy nominated Harkins
for the honor, which recognizes a registered nurse’s lifelong commitment
to the profession of nursing and their commitment to make an impact
on the health and/or social history of Mississippi.
Lundy accepted
the prestigious award on her former teacher’s behalf. It was presented
by Dr. Helen Turner, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs
at the University Medical Center and president of the Mississippi
Medical Association.
Harkins graduated
from nursing school at Mercy Hospital in New Orleans in 1946, was
licensed as a registered nurse that same year and received her Bachelor
of Science in Nursing in 1950 and doctorate in 1976. She was a member
of the Sisters of Mercy and served in a leadership capacity with
the group until her death.
She worked in
every aspect of hospital service including administration and nursing
education. She was also an active member of the American Nurses
Association and the National League of Nursing during her entire
career, serving in various state and national leadership roles.
The St. Ann
native was a trailblazer during her stint at Southern Miss. In 1966,
Harkins single-handedly received board of trustees and legislative
approval for the second baccalaureate nursing program in Mississippi.
After approving and funding the new school of nursing, legislators
entrusted Harkins with the task of finding a home for the program.
In her 1980
biography, Harkins said she first approached Delta State University
about placing the program there, but the president declined, feeling
his college wasn’t ready for this kind of school. However, the president
recommended that she next try Southern Miss. With the school of
nursing literally in her trunk, she motored south to Hattiesburg
where she met with then Southern Miss President Dr. William McCain,
who to her surprise said yes to the program without hesitation.
“I came down
to talk with him about the possibility of establishing a nursing
school at USM; here I was in this black veil, long black dress and
habit,” recalled Harkins. “That must have been quite a sight. After
he said that USM would be the ideal place for a second BSN program
in nursing, I decided to venture further and ask, ‘Would you entertain
the idea of having a Sister on your faculty?’ And he again said
‘yes.’”
At the time, Harkins had no idea that Southern Miss was making history
yet again, as the Sisters of Mercy Order member would later become
the first Catholic Sister in the country to be appointed dean at
a non-Catholic university.
“The religion
a person practices is a private matter. The only way - and I hope
I have influenced people - is to live by my values and be a good
example. My primary role at USM has always been to administer and
develop this program in nursing,” said Harkins.
It was no secret
Harkins’ primary goal was garnering the full accreditation of every
program that the School of Nursing offered. She successfully met
that goal with continuous accreditation from the first graduates
in 1969 for the undergraduate program and subsequent full accreditation
for the master’s degree program and continuing education programs
at Southern Miss.
Harkins believed
that autonomy for a school of nursing was critical because of its
unique professional needs. She said shortly after she came to Southern
Miss, McCain told her, “I have employed you to establish the school
of nursing at this university. You know what you should do and have
to do. I am not going to interfere with your work. If you ever need
me, I am here in my office.”
Harkins said
his words made all the difference in establishing what is still
known to be the largest School of Nursing in Mississippi. “He made
good on his promise and so did Dr. Aubrey Lucas (who followed McCain
as president),” she said.
Lundy remembered
an anecdote told during a meeting at Lucas’ home that explained
why McCain felt so inclined to back Harkins’ vision. “After dinner,
McCain recalled when Sister Harkins walked into his office after
driving down from Delta State—obviously a determined woman and dressed
from head to toe in the habit of her order, armed with her statistics
about why a second BSN program was needed in Mississippi. McCain
described the encounter this way: ‘I thought, how could I even think
of saying no to her? It would have been like saying no to God.’”
It was Harkins’
belief that “nurses should be accountable to nurses” and that as
a professional school with very different needs from other majors,
nursing schools must maintain this autonomy. Although she retired
in 1980 from Southern Miss, Harkins continued to keep an office
in the School of Nursing, assisting the faculty with realizing her
dream of a doctoral program in nursing for Southern Miss. She would
go on to start two more undergraduate schools of nursing and assisted
them with national accreditation.
Ever the dedicated
nurse and optimist, Harkins approved and signed a grant application
on the morning of her death in 1987. This surprised no one who knew
her well. She never ceased working for her beloved chosen career
as a nurse, educator and caregiver.
The establishment of the College of Nursing and the approval of
the doctoral program in nursing were approved six months after she
died. Since her entry into the profession of nursing, Harkins served
two terms as president of the Mississippi Nurses Association, nine
years on the Mississippi Board of Nursing and chair of Deans and
Directors Council with Institutions of Higher Learning a number
of times.
Harkins’ many
accolades included an induction as a member of the first charter
Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) in 1973. Only 36
nurses in the United States were part of this distinguished first
charter group. Since that time, other Southern Miss Academy members
include professors Lundy and Dr. Bonita Reinert as well as Dr. Jerri
Laube, dean emeritus of the School of Nursing. There are presently
only five Academy members in Mississippi.
The university
has graduated more than 4,600 nurses to date. Lundy credits Harkins
for Southern Miss’ successes and considers her mentor a true "steel
magnolia," remembering her as a soft-spoken individual with
incredible political savvy and steely blue eyes that reflected her
determination and strong commitment to professional nursing.
“I saw Harkins
on a weekly basis,” said Lundy. “My favorite place to visit with
her was the Payne Fitness Center. I often did not recognize her
in sweatpants and bandana; she used the center for weight training.
I remained in awe of this small, soft-spoken woman -- her intensity,
her courage, her sense of humor and her unflinching determination,
which kept her going even as she faced cancer. We cannot ever lose
sight of her vision and legacy at Southern Miss.”
Click to enlarge
Founder of the University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing Sister Elizabeth C. Harkins pins Dr. Karen Saucier Lundy, student nurse at 1975 Southern Miss School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony. Dr. Lundy is currently a Southern Miss School of Nursing professor.
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